Kaizer Chiefs jets off to Turkey for pre-season minus 5 injured players
Kaizer Chiefs on Thursday jetted off to Istanbul, Turkey for their pre-season preparations without five of their stars.
Amakhosi, starved of silverware for nine seasons, will spend the next 18 days in Istanbul under the watchful eye of their new technical team.
Determined to reclaim their past dominance, Chiefs players returned to Naturena on July 1 for the start of pre-season training under the supervision of new assistant coach Fernando Da Cruz. Goalkeeper coach Ilyes Mzoughi and conditioning coach Mejdi Safi also arrived last week to kickstart pre-season preparations.
The trio will be part of the backroom staff led by head coach Nasreddine Nabi. The Tunisian’s appointment is expected to be officially announced soon. He is expected to link up with the team at the weekend. The club’s second assistant, Khalil Ben Youssef, and analyst Eyman will also arrive at the weekend.
The injuries to five players come as a setback for the Soweto giants, who are looking to bounce back from a disappointing season. Chiefs finished last season in 10th place and will be looking to start off on a positive note under the new technical team.
WHO ARE THE FIVE KAIZER CHIEFS PLAYERS WHO ARE OUT INJURED?
GEORGE MATLOU, who underwent a knee operation earlier this year, is expected to be out for an extended period. The 25-year-old made ten appearances in all competitions during the 2023/24 DStv Premiership season.
His last outing was on November 8, 2023, against Cape Town Spurs. Chiefs have since exercised their option to extend Matlou’s contract for another year. The injury, unfortunately, prevents Matlou from travelling with the team.
TEBOGO POTSANE has been struggling with a groin injury since December 2023 and underwent surgery. The 30-year-old winger is recovering from surgery after a promising start to his Chiefs career.
The former Royal AM winger made 11 appearances and two assists. Notably, he started all three MTN8 matches and featured in the Carling Knockout Cup under former coach Molefi Ntseki. His last appearance was on December 30, 2023. Potsane will now miss the opportunity to impress the new coaching staff during the preseason in Turkey. His return date remains uncertain, but the club is hopeful for a swift recovery.
MDUDUZI MDANTSANE is another player ruled out of preseason due to an unspecified injury. The 29-year-old midfielder will also miss the club’s trip to Turkey for their preseason camp.
In his debut season, the former Cape Town City FC playmaker made 16 appearances across the DStv Premiership and MTN8. His last outing was in the season-ending 2-0 loss to Cape Town Spurs on May 25, 2024.
DILLAN SOLOMONS also recovering from a shoulder injury, adding to the club’s defensive concerns. The right-back struggled for regular game time last season but was still considered a valuable squad member.
Despite facing competition for the right-back position from Reeve Frosler and Zitha Kwinika, Solomons managed 15 appearances across all competitions in the 2023/24 season. He started four matches and came on as a substitute in 11, with his last start coming against TS Galaxy on May 7, 2024. His return to fitness will be monitored closely by the coaching staff.
ASHLEY DU PREEZ suffered a foot injury towards the end of the season and is still recovering. He probably would be the biggest miss of all five, considering how highly the new technical team rates him. They will, however, be hoping he recovers in time to return to join the team at a later stage.
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