Aden McCarthy has become the first player to leave Kaizer Chiefs in this transfer window, but he is unlikely to be the last. With Fernando Da Cruz now officially appointed as the new head coach of the club, significant changes are expected at Naturena.
As the French tactician prepares to stamp his authority on the squad ahead of the new campaign, several players face highly uncertain futures. Let’s look at the stars most likely to follow McCarthy out of the exit door.
KAIZER CHIEFS QUARTET ALL FACING PROBABLE DEPARTURES
Fiacre Ntwari, George Matlou, Gastón Sirino, and Nkanyiso Shinga have all been heavily linked with potential departures from Naturena as Da Cruz begins reshaping the side.
Let’s take a look at their current situations at Kaizer Chiefs.
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NTWARI’S THE LIKELIEST TO LEAVE NEXT
Ntwari appears to be among the most likely candidates to leave.
The Rwandan international lost his place midway through the 2024/25 season when former Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi opted to hand Brandon Petersen an extended run in goal.
Petersen seized the opportunity and never looked back. Thereafter, following Nabi’s departure, Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef continued with Petersen as their preferred goalkeeper. Da Cruz is likely to continue this trend due to form and I cannot see him dropping Amakhosi’s in-form captain.
So, the decision to appoint him club captain only reinforced his status as the undisputed first choice.
Consequently, Ntwari has slipped further down the pecking order and now finds himself on the fringes of the squad. The goalkeeper was strongly linked with an exit during the previous transfer window, although no deal ultimately materialized. Therefore, a move away from Kaizer Chiefs appears increasingly likely under Da Cruz.
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IT SEEMS LIKE A MATTER OF TIME FOR MIDFIELDER MATLOU
Meanwhile, Matlou’s future has been the subject of speculation for several seasons.
The midfielder has repeatedly been linked with an exit but has somehow managed to survive each transfer window. However, the longer the uncertainty continues, the more likely it becomes that the club eventually decides to move in a different direction.
Meaning, he is more likely to leave now than ever before with Da Cruz at the helm.
EX-SUNDOWNS MAN REPORTEDLY ALREAD ON HIS WAY OUT
Interestingly, numerous reports suggest Kaizer Chiefs have already reached a decision regarding Sirino’s future. The experienced attacker has struggled to consistently justify his place in the side.
It seems that Amakhosi are prepared to part ways with him as they continue reshaping the squad ahead of the new campaign. Da Cruz means business and won’t want to quickly tie up loose ends.
AMAKHOSI DEFENDER TO LEAVE AFTER ONE MATCH?
Finally, Shinga has emerged as the latest player linked with a departure.
The defender has found opportunities difficult to come by and could seek regular first-team football elsewhere should the right offer arrive.
With McCarthy’s departure already confirmed and several players facing uncertain futures, Kaizer Chiefs’ squad could look significantly different by the time the new season gets underway.
“Why would you keep Shinga? And those are the things that they don’t look at. They look at the obvious ones. And they are looking at because Shinga has a contract,” an insider told Soccer Laduma.
“Shinga wouldn’t be considered for what, for transfer or for selling or whatever. But people go with contract. You can always terminate a contract. So those are some of the players who are still not safe at the moment. But the club is looking at which players can still contribute to the team in the next season and all that could he revealed maybe this week you never know. But Shinga’s future still hangs in the balance,” the insider added.
So, it is hard to see Da Cruz changing the direction.
Ultimately, Da Cruz will want to bring in some talent while trimming the squad. He will want to mold the team into a team that suits how he believes they should play to get the best out of Kaizer Chiefs.
WHO SHOULD LEAVE KAIZER CHIEFS UNDER DA CRUZ?
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