Kaizer Chiefs have officially announced the signing of Asanele Velebayi on a long-term contract, making him the club’s seventh new addition of the season.
The 22-year-old joins Amakhosi following his controversial departure from Cape Town Spurs, a club that was relegated from the Motsepe Foundation Championship to the amateur ranks last season.
Chiefs have long been admirers of the talented midfielder, and they reportedly made two offers for him before the start of the 2024/25 season. However, both bids were rejected by Spurs, who considered them to be below their valuation of Velebayi.
CT Spurs had reportedly valued Velebayi at R12 million, later reducing their asking price to R10 million, while Chiefs’ offer was believed to be around R4 million.
KAIZER CHIEFS FINALLY GET THEIR MAN FOLLOWING A PSL DISPUTE RESOLUTION CHAMBER RULING
Despite CT Spurs’ hesitation to release the player after their relegation to the SAFA ABC Motsepe League, it took a PSL Dispute Resolution Chamber to declare Velebayi a free agent. The Cape side wanted to hold on to their captain, arguing that his contract was still valid and that he, along with teammates Luke Baartman and Liam Bern, remained under contract and should report for training.
However, Velebayi’s representatives argued that the attacker was no longer bound by his professional contract. And the DRC ultimately sided with Velebayi, ruling that his legal team presented a compelling case based on the NSL handbook, which showed that the contract Ct Spurs relied on was no longer valid. The ruling effectively made Velebayi a free agent.
With Velebayi officially joining Chiefs on Tuesday, Baartman is also believed to have already agreed to terms with the club, while Bern is reportedly set to join AmaZulu FC
AMAKHOSI SPORTING DIRECTOR ELATED WITH THE SIGNING OF ASANELE VELEBAYI
“We are happy to finally have Asanele with us,” said Chiefs’ sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jr.
“He is a great addition, and we believe he will add significant value because he is a perfect fit for our game model and the culture we have here at the Club.”
Velebayi, who has not been training with any club, is unlikely to make his Chiefs debut soon. The club must also first register him. Meanwhile, Cape Town Spurs have stated that they have not given up their legal fight.
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