Kaizer Chiefs continue to prioritise the importance of young players in their squad by offering a contract to a midfielder, the Siya crew understands.
The promotion of youth academy talent at Amakhosi to the senior team, mirrors the strategies of clubs like Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns.
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The latest player to benefit from Chiefs’ development focus is believed to be young midfielder Manqoba "Pelembe" Ozoemena, who is expected to be offered a long-term professional contract starting next season.
As previously reported by Soccer Laduma, Amakhosi began discussions about offering Ozoemena a senior team deal after his pre-season trip to Turkey with the first team. However, the deal was delayed to allow the technical team time to finalise the squad with other signings.
Now, insiders have indicated that Chiefs are believed to have agreed to a five-year contract for Ozoemena, reflecting the club’s great faith in his potential. The deal could then run until June 2030.
"The talks had started last year after the trip to Turkey but they could not finalise everything as the new technical team had to look at building a team with the other players they had signed but after his performance in the DDC this season they are believed to have finally reached an agreement for a five-year deal. It's going to run until June 2030 because they are looking at building a strong squad with some of their development products and Manqoba (Ozoemena) is one of them," the insider told Soccer Laduma.
A second Siya source noted that Chiefs initially considered loaning out Ozoemena last season. However, they decided to keep him in the DDC team to monitor his development closely.
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"They believe since he didn't go out on loan as they had previously planned then it worked well for the club as he has grown very well as a player while playing for the DDC and both coaches from the DDC and the senior team have agreed that he deserves a senior team contract and that's why they are believed to have agreed on a five-year contract," the second insider stated.
Ozoemena has been a standout performer for Chiefs in the DDC side this season, showcasing the talent and consistency that secured him this long-term opportunity.
Despite efforts to contact Kaizer Chiefs for comment, no response was received at the time of publishing.
