LONG-TERM TARGET

KAIZER CHIEFS ENDED THEIR LONG PURSUIT OF DEFENDER RUSHWIN DORTLEY WHEN HE WAS SIGNED IN THE LAST TRANSFER WINDOW

- Mazola Molefe

Kaizer Chiefs' pursuit of defender Rushwin Dortley is one of incredible persistence I given how far back their interest in the player goes.

March 2022 was the first time Amakhosi were linked with the then Cape Town Spurs teenager, who had made his way up the youth ranks and was being noticed by junior national team selectors.

And even at the time the Urban Warriors were already pricing Dortley out of the market by asking what Chiefs felt was an unreasonable valuation for a 19-year-old who was playing in the National First Division.

The talks collapsed, but the desire to lure him to Naturena never completely went away and prior to his move the player had admitted furthering his career in the lower leagues after Spurs were relegated at the end of the 2023/24 campaign would surely hurt his progress and indeed a chance to play for Bafana Bafana.

"It's difficult to get recognition because the games are not always televised - the only time you get seen is if you are lying on top [of the log] or second, then your games are on TV and the coaches come to watch the games," Dortley said while on national team duty for the annual COSAFA Cup in Gqeberha.

"Now in the PSL [topflight], most of the games are televised and there's a better platform to showcase our talent and get chose for the national team."