Chiefs rebuff Katsande interest, want him to retire at Naturena

Kaizer Chiefs midfielder, Willard Katsande, has attracted interest from abroad of late, but the Siya crew has been informed that the Glamour Boys are eager for him to see out the rest of his career at Naturena.

The 33-year-old midfield lynchpin has one year left on his current Amakhosi contract – as well as a further one-year option – and it appears that, as things stand, Chiefs won’t be entertaining any enquiries regarding his availability.

Katsande has played 24+ league games in all of Chiefs’ last six Absa Premiership campaigns, under Stuart Baxter and Steve Komphela, and has been almost ever-present in 2018/19 following the arrival of Italian, Giovanni Solinas, and then current head coach, Ernst Middendorp.

The Siya crew has previously reported that a club in Kuwait was looking into the possibility of signing the Zimbabwean national from Chiefs during one of the upcoming transfer windows, though that seems to have been shut down.

Having been with Chiefs for more than seven- and- a- half seasons, the former Ajax Cape Town man has become part of the furniture at Naturena and has been regularly praised for his commitment to the cause and professional attitude.

Like his predecessors, Middendorp has continued to use Katsande at the heart of his midfield, and the player has taken on the responsibility of the captain’s armband in the absence of Itumeleng Khune.

The Siya crew will continue to keep an eye on the situation of ‘Salt & Vinegar’ in the coming months, with Chiefs expected to exercise their option on him within the next year.