Kaizer Chiefs had gone through an exhaustive process to find a striker when Christian Saile landed on the Naturena doorstep in January - signed for an undisclosed fee from Zambia's Nchanga Rangers. Was he what coach Arthur Zwane had been looking for?
The jury was out. The Amakhosi mentor made conflicting statements about Bonfils-Caleb Bimenyimana, another foreign forward, at the start of the 2022/23 season as his tenure was taking off.
"He is not what we are looking for." he had told journalists at the launch of the new DStv Premiership campaign in August after the Burundian international had already spent several weeks on trial at Chiefs.
The Glamour Boys ended up giving Bimenyimana a two-year contract before the transfer deadline.
Zwane was a lot more measured with his comments when the Soweto giants confirmed the arrival of Saile, a 23-year-old from DR Congo known to be an explosive striker with an eye for goal.
Like Bimenyimana, he had also made his way to South Africa to be assessed by Zwane and his technical team. This was the coach's feedback once Saile had put pen to paper:
"He is a scoring machine; he has been scoring goals for his previous clubs and we just want him to continue where he left off," the Chiefs mentor said a few days after the club had confirmed a deal running until June 2026.
This story is from the August 2023 edition of Soccer Club.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 2023 edition of Soccer Club.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
WORLD CUP DREAM BURNS BRIGHT
Neil Tovey Former Bafana Bafana captain
CONTINENTAL QUEENS
AS BANYANA BANYANA WAIT TO DEFEND THEIR TITLE AT THE WOMEN'S AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS, WE LOOK BACK AT THEIR PAST PERFORMANCES IN THE COMPETITION
TABLE TOPPERS
THE TOP 10 IN THE ALL-TIME PSL TABLE SINCE THE START OF THE 1996/97 SEASON MAKES FOR INTERESTING READING
WHO ARE BAYER LEVERKUSEN?
'Invincible' Bayer Leverkusen swept to a maiden German Bundesliga title in 2023/24. But who are they?
SET-PIECE SECRET
THE THROW-IN MAY SEEM A MUNDANE PART OF FOOTBALL, BUT THERE IS MUCH MORE TO IT THAN MEETS THE EYE
PSL SHARPSHOOTERS
AS THE NEW 2024/25 SEASON BEGINS, BOTH BRADLEY GROBLER AND PETER SHALULILE CAN TAKE AIM AT THE PREMIER SOCCER LEAGUE'S GOALSCORING RECORD AS WE RUN DOWN THE TOP MARKSMEN SINCE 1996
BALANCING THE BOOKS
CAPE TOWN CITY HAVE TO FOREVER SELL PLAYERS TO BREAK EVEN. HERE ARE 11 TOP STARS THEY HAVE ALLOWED TO LEAVE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS
INTO THE BIG TIME
CLINTON LARSEN HAS LED LITTLE KNOWN LIMPOPO CLUB MAGESI FC TO THE ELITE LEAGUE OF SOUTH AFRICAN FOOTBALL
REDEMPTION
THEMBINKOSI LORCH FACES ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT SEASONS IN HIS CAREER IN 2024/25
AFRICA'S PIONEERS
AFRICA'S INFLUENCE ON ELITE EUROPEAN FOOTBALL IS NOT A NEW THING