Kaizer Chiefs are usually flawless in the way they have operated things at the club, but this year seems to be a different situation - despite being crowned champions. Is this one of their worst spells?
Yes, over the years we have seen the club make strange decisions, by treating Jimmy Tau with a lack of respect towards the ending of his career and by letting Lehlohonolo Majoro go. But overall, the club is usually on-point.
This season a different story has unravelled somewhat, and that has to do with player contracts. Over the past two seasons we have signed youngsters and failed to use them, while the biggest topic of discussion overall is how the club has eight players approaching ‘free agent’ status.
Kingston Nkhatha’s departure should have been the first sign of trouble. The Zimbabwean penned in a pre-contract with SuperSport United in January before actually opting to leave six months earlier.
That should’ve been a clear indication of a problem, but the fans and the club glanced over it, and now the likes of Itumeleng Khune, Tefu Mashamaite, Ivan Bukenya, Josta Dladla, Siyabonga Nkosi, Matthew Rusike, Mandla Masango and George Lebese are all in the final two months of their deals.
It seems surreal that the club could have so many players possibly set to leave on a free come the end of the season, and the fans have been questioning the thought process behind this…
How could they have let Khune and Tefu run so late into their contracts? Why weren’t Lebese and Masango handed new deals before, because they are young and promising players?
Matthew Rusike, who scored the decisive goals against Polokwane City to secure the league title, is now unsure of whether or not he will be handed a new deal just a fortnight after being one of Chiefs’ decisive players in the second half of the season….
It seems incredulous that a team like Chiefs, the most successful team in South Africa and one of the biggest in Africa, has found themselves in this situation.
I for one am not impressed. Khosi fans, is this managements’ worst mistake ever?
