‘I CAN BE WHAT CHIEFS NEED’
Ashley du Preez believes he can supply the goals to help make Kaizer Chiefs competitive again when the makes the switch to Naturena for the 2022-23 campaign.
Du Preez moves to Chiefs along with Stellenbosch FC teammate Zitha Kwinika, as both follow in the footsteps of Phathutshedzo Nange, who made a successful switch at the start of last season.
“One of the reasons behind my decision to join Chiefs is to try and help the club win trophies again and to test myself in a different environment and at a different club – at a big club like Chiefs,” Du Preez tells KICK OFF. “I’m looking forward to joining the AmaKhosi family and I know that the fans will welcome me and support me because Chiefs is my new team. “I want to bring goals to help the team. I always want to help the team, I did it for Stellenbosch and they did it for me, and this is what I want to do at Chiefs as well. I want to score and help other players get on the scoresheet.” Du Preez scored against Chiefs this past season as Stellenbosch did the league double over the AmaKhosi with a pair of 1-0 wins. He feels he can add value to his new side.
“I’ve been watching Chiefs and I played against them twice. They have good strikers and strong strikers, but I could see in the team that they lack players who run in behind the defence or get one-v-one with the goalkeeper. “The defenders in this league don’t have what I have, they don’t have that pace. All of that is what I can bring to help Chiefs win games.”
He admits it was a wrench to leave Stellenbosch, but hopes the move can elevate his career to the next level.
“It was a hard, hard, hard, hard decision to make to leave Stellenbosch. I thought about it for a long time whether or not I wanted to leave or if should stay, but if you want to go further in your career, and if you want to go abroad one day, these are the things you have to do.
“These are the decisions you have to make. I do want to go further in my football career, and I want to go abroad, and this is one step that will open many doors in the future ahead.”