A very important few months await midfielder Happy Mashiane as his contract with Kaizer Chiefs enters its final year, although the club does have the final say on his future.
The 26-year-old has been on the Soweto giants' books since the 2018/19 season, having been promoted from their development structures.
Tipped to be one of the future stars at Naturena, he has had to bide his time at the Glamour Boys and experienced his breakout campaign in 2020/21.
Since then, his game-time has significantly dwindled with talks of a possible exit from the side refusing to going away, although his management team insist he is 'Happy' at 5/6 Lena Road in Johannesburg, where he reports for training on a daily basis.
The Tembisa-born lad saw more in terms of game-time in the last term with 14 appearances in all competitions. This season, however, the fullback-cum-winger has struggled to pin down a starting berth at Amakhosi, playing a total of two minutes so far – a worrying sign for a player once in the junior national team structures.
Information at this publication's disposal indicates that Mashiane's deal at Chiefs comes to an end in June 2025, although the club does hold an option to extend his stay for a further two years.
It now remains to be seen how matters pan out in the next 12 months for the player, with indications that his future could lie away from the club that has groomed him from a young age.
