Former Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach Farouk Khan has issued a strong recommendation to the club’s management, urging them to sign Cassius Mailula, a highly-rated midfielder from Mamelodi Sundowns.
With Amakhosi rebuilding under the watchful eye of Nasreddine Nabi, expectations are rising for player departures and the arrival of quality signings that the coach seeks in the upcoming transfer window.
The Tunisian mentor was appointed Chiefs’ coach at the start of the 2024/25 Betway Premiership season, joining the Soweto giants from Moroccan side AS FAR.
And since his arrival at the helm, Nabi has consistently appealed to Chiefs supporters for patience, emphasising the time required to construct a formidable and competitive squad.
Nabi’s troops currently occupy the eighth position on the log standings with 30 points. In 24 league matches, Chiefs have won eight games, drawn six, and lost ten times. But despite struggling for a consistent winning form, Amakhosi could finish the season with a trophy to end their trophy drought, spanning almost a decade.
The Glamour Boys booked a spot in the Nedbank Cup final after defeating Sundowns 2-1 in the semi-final at Loftus Versfeld Stadium last weekend. They will face arch-rivals Orlando Pirates in the final on the 10th of May at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
KHAN TELLS CHIEFS TO PURSUE MAILULA AND SUNDOWNS’ MAEMA
Khan has urged Chiefs to make transfer moves for Mailula and Sundowns’ attacking midfielder Neo Maema in the next transfer window.
“I think Neo Maema will be a fantastic signing for Chiefs and a change of club will be a breath of fresh air for him,” Khan said on Soccer Beat.
“So I do think that Kaizer Chiefs will have a bit more depth if they sign a player like Neo Maema because he can give competition to Thabo Cele and [Yusuf] Maart. If Maema is available, they must sign him, and that could also work for Gaston Sirino because having quality around him will bring the best out of him.
“There’s also Cassius Mailula, who can add to the quality of [Glody] Lilepo and Ashley Du Preez, then suddenly you’d have a different Kaizer Chiefs altogether.”
Mailula, who is on loan at Wydad from Toronto FC, has scored three goals and provided six assists in 28 games in all competitions in the Moroccan top-flight, while Maema has seen limited game time at Downs after scoring one goal in 15 matches.
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