A South African football giant appears to be expanding their East African talent search, with a second high-profile target emerging alongside their previously reported midfield interest.
Insiders close to a Tanzanian powerhouse club, the player, and Kaizer Chiefs have indicated that Simba SC have set a price tag for Ivorian international Jean Charles Ahoua if Amakhosi step up their reported interest in him.
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The insiders added that Simba SC have set US $600,000 (approximately R10.7 million) as the asking price for midfielder Ahoua who helped Simba reach the final of the CAF Confederation Cup.
"Nabi was here last month and it's believed that he said he was after Feisal Salum from Azam FC as well as Jean Charles Ahoua from Simba SC. Apparently Kaizer Chiefs have shown keen interest in these two players. It will all depend on the talks now on which one they can sign or if they sign both. But Nabi and another Chiefs official (Tera Maliwa) were here to look at those players last month," the Tanzanian source told Soccer Laduma.
Meanwhile, a second source stated that Simba would be willing to sell Ahoua for the right price as his contract has just one year remaining.
"They are able to sell him. They are willing to sell him at the price they want. It's round about 600k USD (R10.7million). So Chiefs have to meet that if they really want him. That's how things are with Jean and Kaizer Chiefs," the second insider close to the situation revealed.
The 23-year-old Ivorian international joined Simba in July 2024 on a two-year contract which ends in June 2026. This season he has been instrumental in the Fadlu Davids-coached side both locally and in the CAF Confederation Cup, where he played many games, scoring goals too, to help his side reach the final.
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Soccer Laduma contacted Simba SC media officer Ahmed Ally who stated that there hasn't been an official approach from Amakhosi at this point, which indicates that any interest would be at an early stage.
"I have heard about that but as a club we did not receive any communication from them so far," Ally told the Siya crew.
With coach Nabi clearly scouting extensively in Tanzania, his connections to East African football appear to be influencing Chiefs' recruitment strategy. Whether the Naturena-based club will be willing to meet Simba's substantial asking price for Ahoua remains to be seen, especially if they also pursue Feisal Salum.
The Ivorian's experience in continental competition could be particularly valuable as Chiefs aim to rebuild their squad with players capable of making an impact beyond domestic competitions.
