It’s Gaxa for Chiefs
Former Sundowns defender in a three-year deal with the club
KAIZER Chiefs have signed Bafana Bafana right-back Siboniso Gaxa as part of the process to restore the pride of the club that will end the season without winning a single trophy.
Confirming Gaxa’s arrival yesterday, Chiefs football manager Bobby Motaung said the player had signed a three-year contract with Amakhosi with an option to renew for one season. He will start training with Chiefs today.
Gaxa joined Chiefs from Belgian side Lierse SK, the club he joined in 2010 from Mamelodi Sundowns. “We are delighted we have signed Siboniso [he] is a great player and we have no doubt he will help us return to our winning ways in terms of trophies,” said Motaung. “We mean business. That is why we are going all out to bring the best players to Chiefs in the new season. Our contract with Siboniso is effective from July 1, but we agreed that he must start training with the club to keep fit.
“Bafana Bafana will be starting with their World Cup qualifiers in June with two games against Ethiopia and Botswana, we also do not want him to start from scratch when we begin with our pre-season training.”
Gaxa, who has also played for Supersport United, could not be reached for comment.
Motaung also announced they were in the process of finalising deals with other players to come on board at Chiefs, who will be guided by former Bafana coach Stuart Baxter in the new season.
“There are players that we will be releasing at the end of the season, at the same time there will be new ones coming on board. We want to assemble a team that will do well by winning trophies.
“Our supporters are used to winning trophies, the glory days are back. We will make a series of announcements once deals have been signed with players,” said Motaung.
Another Bafana player likely to join Chiefs is Supersport captain Morgan Gould, who is reportedly on the wanted list of Mamelodi Sundowns. Chiefs will wrap up the Absa Premiership season with a home game against Amazulu at the FNB Stadium on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Everton have announced that they would be out to sign Bafana captain Steven Pienaar on a more permanent basis as a matter of priority.
This was revealed by Everton manager David Moyes soon after the team completed a successful English Premier League campaign by beating Newcastle United 3-1 on Sunday, finishing ahead of Liverpool.
Pienaar is currently on loan to the Toffees from Tottenham Hotspur, and scored one of the three goals against Newcastle on the last day of the season.
Moyes outlined the club’s plans for the 2012-2013 season and said that the first order of business would be to secure the transfer of Pienaar from Tottenham Hotspur.
“We now have a potent goal-scoring striker in Nikica Jelavic, around whom the team will be built next season,” he said.
“If anything, we need another inventive player in midfield to link up with Pienaar and provide the service Jelavic will require. Losing Steven, in the circumstances, would hardly fit in with our planning.”
The Bafana captain transferred to Spurs from Everton 18 months ago, but had an unsuccessful stint with the North London club and spent a frustrating first half of the season playing from the bench.
Unhappy with the situation and seeking playing time, Pienaar’s management persuaded Spurs to allow him to return to Everton on loan for the remainder of the season, resulting in a return to form for the South African.
However, while Everton have confirmed their desire to sign Pienaar on a more permanent basis, Spurs are yet to negotiate a transfer fee.
Spurs paid Everton R30-million for Pienaar and with the South African captain on a three-year contract with the London outfit, it is expected that a similar amount will be required to secure the player’s return. — Additional reporting by SapaAFP