Kaizer Chiefs 2019-20 signings an indication of a club intent to return to glory days

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Mahlomola Martin Lefupana
Known as the most supported team in the Southern Africa, Kaizer Chiefs are planning to get back to the top position of South African football. The current transfer window provide proof that Chiefs want to get back to the top, with signing of quality players headlined by Samir Nurkovi from KFC Komarno in Slovakia, Lazarous Kambole from Zesco United in Zambia, James Kotei from Simba Sport Club in the Tanzanian Premier League and Kearyn Baccus from Melbourne City FC in the A-League in Australia.

   Samir Nurkovic unvailing at Kaizer Chiefs Village in Naturena, Image:  Kaizer Chiefs


Kaizer Chiefs have been one of the busiest team in the transfer market with more than 10 ten players confirmed leaving the club, while confirming new signing in the process. The club has spent multi-millions of rand this winter to bring some of these recruits. The club is still busy in the market with several players still linked to the club. The club has confirmed the sale of talented Zimbabwean defender Teenage Hadebe to Turkish Süper Lig side Yeni Malatyaspor for undisclosed fee. The club is still to decide on the future of Striker Leonardo Castro, Siphelele Ntshangase, Lethlogonolo Mirwa and the potential sale of Khama Billiat to North Africa Cub or Europe. While the Club has been signing of new players on high fees, the release of some and the sale of Hadebe to Turkey will come as huge financial relief.  


The new signings have been met with some level of scepticism and debates by fans and media alike. This is to be expected for a club of the magnitude of Kaizer Chiefs, where every move made is dissected on social media platforms, radio, TV, street corners and almost every gathering of football fans. For over 40 years, Kaizer Chiefs has been a dominant force in South Africa football, attracting fans in their thousand in every stadium they play in.  


Inevitably, Kaizer Chief enjoys prominent status in South African football landscape as a top brand. The club is valued at hundreds of millions of Rands, arguably ahead of any South Africa club including rival Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns and others. While in South Africa, the culture of football brand valuation and finances is not common, it can be argued that the brand value of Kaizer Chiefs in the last four years has stagnated or declined due to poor showing in the league and cup competitions. Kaizer Chiefs has gone four full season without a trophy, an anomaly for a club that has had a history of winning at least a trophy every season before the year 2015.   


Kaizer Chiefs is the most followed club on social media with a combined following of 5 million across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. This is ahead of rival Pirates and miles ahead of Sundowns and all others clubs. The Club may have not won any trophy in the last four seasons and playing second fiddle to Mamelodi Sundowns and others, but their match attendance away from their tradition home of FNB stadium is still the highest in the league. It can also be further asserted that their financial, brand and marketing position is still better than the rest of the clubs in the league.


Kaizer Chiefs established its status as a big club in the 1970s and 1980s by winning local leagues and cup competitions. The club smart recruitment strategy across the country saw its stocks rise, with the likes of  Vincent ‘Tantie’ Julius, Jackie Masike, Herman ‘Pelé’ Blaschke, Patrick ‘Ace’ Ntsoelengoe, Joseph ‘Banks’ Sethlodi, Vusi ‘Computer’ Lamola and Abednigo ‘Shaka’ Ngcobo, Peta Bala’c, Jimmy ‘Brixton Tower’ Joubert and others forming the bedrock of the famous gold and black club.


Kaizer Chiefs have also been a leader in many aspects of football, being the first club in South Africa to have its home (Kaizer Chief Village in Naturena, Johannesburg). The Kaizer Chief Village is a modern sports infrastructure with modern training facilities, gyms, canteen, shops and museum littered with the club glittering trophies. The Village regularly receive visitors from across the world and has been used by Confederation of African Football (CAF) and Federation of International Football (FIFA) as a case study for clubs to follow. Chiefs attract major sponsors with Vodacom, Hollard and Nike as their main sponsors. While the PSL broadcasting rights are distributed equally amongst PSL clubs, Kaizer Chiefs TV, Match Day Income, Marketing and Merchandise contribute to the club financial standing. 


Kaizer Chief plays its part in active citizenry, having a well-run Corporate Social Investment (CSI) programme, which covers areas of disaster relief, education, sports, health and other charity work. The CSI work of the club is across the country, inline with its core values. The club has also formed partnership with PinkCords Africa, in an initiative to that seek to address current challenges in shortages of females software developers around world. The aim is to empower women to become computer coders and developers around Africa.


While the club has undoubted record in cup competition, its league titles in the era of the PSL is behind that of rivals, having won only 4 league titles in more than 20 years. Their signing for the 2019 / 20 season suggest that the club wants to challenge Sundowns for the title. The multitude of Kaizer Chiefs fans across the Southern African region are waiting for trophies.

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