Kaizer Chiefs labelled as a joke after announcing unknown new recruits

Kaizer Chiefs’ former attacker and controversil football pundit Junior Khanye says the “club is not serious” after overlooking local depth and signing unpopular players from abroad for next season.

Amakhosi announced the signing of overseas-based trio Flavio Silva, Ethan Chislett on respective deals this week.

Silva is a Guinea Bissau-born player, but he was based in Indonesia where he played for Persebaya Surabaya, netting nine goals in 33 matches, last season.

Chislett and Shinga, meanwhile, are making their respective homecomings as the Durban-born do was based in England and Portugal respectively.

The trio will be eager to impress and make a name for themselves at Chiefs and in South Africa given the club’s urge to return to the top of SA football next season.

Chiefs have fallen from grace in recent years as they ended a 10-year drought last season, but still failed to finish in the Top 8 in the Betway Premiership.

The Chiefs newbies will not have it easy, though, as they are already under scrutiny from Khanye who questioned their signings over locals such as Sipho Mbule.

“Chiefs are joking,” Khanye told Independent Media on Thursday afternoon. “They don’t want to compete with Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates.

“If Pirates can go for Sipho Mbule, (then why can’t Chiefs do the same)? Sure, Mbule's reputation is not clean, it was going to be difficult for any team to commit to him right now.

“But if you look at his quality, there are other ways you can do (to keep him on a straight and narrow path). So, for me, my brother, I don’t think Chiefs are serious.

“They should have put clauses in Mbule’s contract. When you sign Mbule, you know that there’s a lot of thing he was going to bring to the club.

“The worst part is that (his agent) Mike Makaab admitted that he was offered to Kaizer Chiefs. So Chiefs continued to do what they’ve been doing all these years.”

Makaab is also Chislett’s agent. As such, he played a key role in the 26-year-old leaving Port Vale to return hom after a long time.

But despite scoring goals and registering assists for the third-tier outfit in England, Khanye is not convinced that he’s a right player for a club such as Chiefs.

According to Transfermarkt, Chislett played 242 games across all competitions in England and only scored 40 goals and registered 16 assists.

“Let’s be honest. Where did they see that guy? Yes, it’s hard to judge someone, but based on the history, he is not convincing,” Khanye explained.

“Chiefs turn out to be a joke because they sign unknown players such as  (Akumu) Agay, Dax (Andrianarimanana), Ranga (Chivaviro) and (Inacio) Miguel.

“Where do they see these players? They are making the same mistake of relying on database information and agents who recommend their players. I am very disappointed!”

Khanye didn’t only slam Chiefs’ scouting department which is led by Thembela ‘Tera’ Maliwa, but the team’s head coach, Nasreddine Nabi, as well.

Despite winning the Nedbank Cup last season, Khanye believes that Nabi failed at the club, hence, he should have been released.

“If they were serious, why didn’t they give Nabi a local assistant? Clearly they don’t want to sack him just because he fluked one trophy,” Khanye said.

“The way that he’s playing, there’s no hope. They are still going to beat him next season. I am very disappointed in Chiefs.

“I have realised, from the last seven years, that there’s no structure and direction that the team is playing. I think they have lost interest in football.”