Kaizer Chiefs’ attempts to sign Fawaaz Basadien repeatedly hit a snag in the last two transfer windows. But a few factors point towards why this move could be more likely to happen in July 2025.
Amakhosi coach Nasreddine Nabi’s is a big admirer of the talented Stellenbosch FC fullback.
Having failed to get his primary target, Anderson Cruz, during the preseason transfer window, Nabi had hoped to land the Bafana Bafana star. However, the Winelands club set an excessive price for the player, discouraging the Soweto giants from signing him.
The 28-year-old signed a new, improved deal with Stellies, granting them a bit more leverage against any club seeking his services. However, the situation has changed slightly ahead of the upcoming transfer window.
He is reportedly keen to return to Gauteng, having moved to Cape Town after leaving the now-defunct Moroka Swallows. And now, more than ever, the Glamour Boys desperately need a left-back.
Thatayaone Ditlhokwe provided a temporary solution to the team’s struggles at left-back after Bradley Cross faced challenges in that role. Ditlhokwe recently moved to Libya’s Al Ittihad, and Nabi has emphasised the need for a dedicated specialist to fill the left-back position.
“We feel that, for example, we should have had a left-back that is a specialist in his position, the one who plays there – even though he plays amazingly well – is someone who was there first and it was a case of, ‘Let’s try him to see how he does’,” Nabi said recently.
FAWAAZ BASADIEN TO CHIEFS IN JULY 2025: HERE’S WHY?
Following modest stints with Milano United, Cape Town City FC, Ubuntu Cape Town and Steenberg United, Basadien joined Swallows in 2020. He made his professional debut in the 2020/21 season. After surviving the 2020/21 playoffs with The Birds, he moved to Stellies on an initial two-year contract.
Swallows included a 30% sell-on clause in the contract, which remains valid for four years and will expire at the end of June 2025. A ‘sell-on clause’ in football enables the original club that sold a player to receive a percentage of the transfer fee if that player is later sold to another team.
This provision effectively allows Swallows to share in the profits from any transfer involving Basadien. If, for example, Stellies sold Basadien for R12 million, Swallows would be entitled to R3.6 million.
Although The Birds are now defunct, the deal would have been completed with the former owners who remained eligible to receive the share. With the clause expiring at the end of June, Stellenbosch knows that if they sell him after June, they will retain all the proceeds from his transfer.
Furthermore, the Cape Town side intended to find a long-term replacement before parting ways with the talented player. Omega Mdaka, a graduate of the Chiefs Academy, has made 14 appearances for Stellies, eight of which were as a starter. He appears poised to be that replacement should they ultimately give in to the player’s wish to leave.
Basadien has been key for coach Steve Barker, helping the club win the Carling Cup and reach the group stages of the CAF Confederation Cup on their first attempt. He is also establishing himself as a regular for Bafana Bafana.
RELATED STORY: Fawaaz Basadien and Devin Titus address Gauteng interest
