With only two weeks remaining in the January transfer window, Kaizer Chiefs Sporting Director Kaizer Motaung Jr has identified a key area the Soweto giants are eager to reinforce.
The Soweto giants are yet to sign any new players during this transfer window despite seemingly struggling in both attack and defence.
This is particularly surprising given that head coach Nasreddine Nabi has made public statements regarding the need to add quality players to his squad as he strives to return Amakhosi to their former glory.
However, Chiefs’ inconsistent results have put Nabi under increasing pressure from frustrated fans who are looking for immediate success. Currently, Chiefs sit in sixth place on the Betway Premiership log standings with 18 points from 13 games, having won five, drawn three, and lost five matches.
And with their league title aspirations fading and having already missed out on winning the Carling Knockout Cup and MTN8, the Nedbank Cup presents Chiefs with their only remaining hope of ending their nine-year trophy drought.
KAIZER JR CONFIRMS CHIEFS’ SEARCH FOR NEW ATTACKER
Ahead of the current season, Chiefs made a single signing in the attacking department, acquiring former Mamelodi Sundowns star Gaston Sirino on a free transfer.
Despite the lack of further attacking reinforcements, Chiefs have managed to score the third-highest number of goals in the league this season with 16, behind only Orlando Pirates and Sundowns.
However, a low conversion rate and a porous defence have hindered their progress. Chiefs have conceded the second-highest number of goals in the league with 16, surpassed only by Marumo Gallants [21].
With questions swirling around Chiefs’ transfer window inactivity, Kaizer Motaung Jr confirmed that the club is actively pursuing an attacker to bolster their attacking options. The January transfer window is set to close on January 28th.
“I don’t want to have any excuses; I don’t want to come now and say, ‘guys, it is a tough window; clubs don’t want to release players’,” said Kaizer Jr at the Chiefs Village on Thursday. “Whether it is January or June, it is the same: clubs always want to have their best players. You want to negotiate, you must identify and close deals; that’s our responsibility.
“So having said that offensively is definitely an area [we want to reinforce] since the beginning of the season. We want goals, and we don’t want to concede. So that’s the one position most clubs every year, internationally and locally are always looking to get a competitive advantage.
“We are definitely looking up front; we are looking at attacking options; like I said having created all the chances that we have, the offensive football that we are playing with only signing one attacking player, it bares testament to a lot of good work on the ground, the technical team.”
Kaizer Jr added: “But the conversion rate has been a challenge, if we had to convert all the chances we had, would we be sitting here asking whether we need a striker and attackers? We probably still would because, as a big club, you want to be competitive, so we are looking and want to assist the technical team as best as we can.
‘KAIZER CHIEFS WORKING DILIGENTLY ON TRANSFERS’: KAIZER JR
Meanwhile, Kaizer Jr also addressed recent criticism surrounding the club’s transfer activity during the January window.
“I really want to just take away this connotation that the club is not doing anything. The club does not respect the supporters,” he added. “They [fans] are everything to us. We do everything for them, and it would be foolish for us not to be doing anything in this window.
“…And we obviously have been engaged with many clubs, with many players, but it’s very disrespectful to come out and speak about other clubs players.”
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