Kaizer Chiefs have confirmed their five opponents for what the club describes as a “high intensity” pre-season camp in the Netherlands as they fine-tune their preparations for the upcoming season.
The Soweto giants returned from their off-season break last Friday, June 20, at their Naturena base, with some new faces already in the fold, including promising left-back Kabelo Nkgwesa from the club’s DStv Diski Challenge side.
Aiming to improve their performance last season, Amakhosi will set up their base camp in Apeldoorn, approximately 80 kilometres from Amsterdam, arriving on July 4 and returning to South Africa on July 19.
Head coach Nasreddine Nabi will lead the charge for Chiefs, putting to bed recent speculation about his future.
The Tunisian tactician has already made a significant impact, guiding the Chiefs to a memorable 2025 Nedbank Cup triumph over arch-rivals Orlando Pirates, thereby ending the club’s agonising decade-long trophy drought. While a top-eight league finish eluded them last season, Nabi did secure a CAF Confederation Cup spot.
KAIZER CHIEFS ANNOUNCE FIVE DUTCH PRE-SEASON FRIENDLIES
“As part of the tour, Amakhosi will play five friendly matches against Dutch top-tier sides from both the Eredivisie and Eerste Divisie. Four of the matches will be open to the public, with one being held behind closed doors,” said Chiefs in a statement on Wednesday.
The Amakhosi’s Dutch adventure kicks off on July 8 at 7 PM, with a clash against Vitesse FC at Sportpark Driel. This opening game will be open to the public. Three days later, on July 11 at 4 PM, Chiefs will face FC Utrecht in a closed training ground friendly in Garderen.
Chiefs will be back in action on July 12 at 2 PM as they take on NEC Nijmegen in Overasselt, another match open for public viewing. And as the tour progresses, Chiefs will challenge PEC Zwolle on July 15 at 7 PM in Meppel, with spectators welcome.
The Glamour Boys’ pre-season schedule in the Netherlands ends on July 16 at 7 PM against FC Twente Enschede in Delden, a final public friendly before the team heads back to South Africa.
CHIEFS FANS TO JOIN SQUAD IN NETHERLANDS VIA VODACOM
Chiefs also confirmed that a select group of the club’s supporters will join the squad in the Netherlands. In addition, they will see Carling Black Label join them as an official partner for their Netherlands tour.
“During the camp, members of the media will be invited to attend selected training sessions, where there will be opportunities to engage with players and members of the technical team,” said Chiefs. Moreover, they will be able to interact with a group of Chiefs supporters who will be travelling with the squad. These fans were selected through the Vodacom Tsamaya campaign, a fan engagement initiative in South Africa.
“Kaizer Chiefs look forward to a successful and productive pre-season tour, confident that the experience will not only lay a strong foundation for the 2025/26 campaign but will also contribute to the strengthening of football ties between South Africa and the Netherlands.”
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