Bafana Bafana forward Lebo Mothiba has clarified the reason behind his much-speculated meeting with Kaizer Chiefs in June. The 28-year-old had just parted ways with Racing Strasbourg at the time.
His visit to Naturena sparked rumours of a potential move to the Soweto giants. At the time, Chiefs had released Colombian striker Jasond González following a disappointing spell. The club endured a lacklustre 2023/24 Premiership campaign, finishing in a lowly 10th position. The Soweto giants actively sought reinforcements in various positions, including the striker role.
Mothiba, who previously played for Lille, was considered a potential target for Amakhosi. However, the highly regarded forward has now revealed the true purpose of his visit to Naturena.
WHY LEBO MOTHIBA HELD A MEETING WITH KAIZER CHIEFS
In an interview with FARPost, Mothiba said his visit to Naturena was not for a player transfer but rather a business venture. The forward has established an agency in South Africa to scout and develop young talent for European clubs.
He explained that the agency will collaborate with his European agent to identify and nurture promising South African players.
“I have an agency now in South Africa…,” he told FARPost. “It’s me and my brother … but we work with the boss himself, Ludo, my agent.”
“He’s based in Europe. He’s so prominent in Europe that he works with big clubs, such as PSG, Real Madrid, AC Milan, and Napoli.
“I told him there’s so much talent in South Africa. For me, South African players deserve to play in Europe’. It pains me to see South African talent go to waste. Or that talent not making it in Europe.”
The former Troyes striker emphasised his goal to provide opportunities for young South African footballers to showcase their skills on the European stage. By leveraging his connections and experience, Mothiba aims to bridge the gap between SA and European football.
‘I WENT THERE TO PRESENT MY AGENCY’: LEBO MOTHIBA
“I decided to open that agency, and my brother and I would run it. We’ll scout players for Ludo in South Africa. We’ll look for the best young players in South Africa and tell him about them so that we can take them to Europe. It’s easy for him to bring any players to Europe.
“He can speak to the clubs in Spain, France, and Germany because he has a lot of connections in Europe.
“That was my goal…. That’s my project after football. I’ll be working with my agent. I’ll be taking South African players to Europe.
“That’s why I was at the [Kaizer Chiefs] village; I went there to present the agency and who I’m working with. When I was there, I told them why I was there.
“While I was there, we got to speak to Ludo, and he told them who he was. After that, I saw everywhere that Lebo was at the Village, and it’s a done deal.”
Meanwhile, Mothiba has fully recovered from a knee injury that kept him on the sidelines for a lengthy period. “Right now, I would say the injury is finished, and I’m done with rehabilitation. I am back. I’m 100 per cent fit,” he said.
“I’m 100% back. I have no pain in my knee, even after my training sessions, because I’m still training with Strasbourg, doing everything with Strasbourg with the team.”
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