Perhaps out of desperation to add another signing this season that would help to end the club's eight-year trophy drought, Kaizer Chiefs hurriedly triggered midfielder Sibongiseni Mthethwa's release clause.
A week prior to the Soweto giants paying the required fee for Stellenbosch to offload the Bafana Bafana international, then Amakhosi coach Molefi Ntseki had told journalists that a player of his calibre was for the long term.
Yes, there will remain questions over whether the statement makes sense, given Mthethwa is turning 29 next year, but it is a fact that the hard man can give the Glamour Boys a good three seasons at least.
There is also an overarching feeling from club supporters that Chiefs may have finally been able to find the perfect successor to Willard Katsande, who left the club in July 2021 after more than a decade as their midfield general.
But Mthethwa does not immediately become a superstar, Ntseki argued.
This story is from the December 2023 edition of Soccer Club.
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This story is from the December 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.
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