Chippa United have agreed a deal with Lerumo Lions for the transfer of highly rated striker Ntuthuko Mlotshwa following his outstanding 2025/26 Motsepe Foundation Championship campaign.
FARPost has established that the Chilli Boys have secured the services of the 24-year-old forward, who finished the season as the division’s leading goalscorer with 13 goals.
The agreement comes as the Eastern Cape side continues planning for the 2026/27 season despite a FIFA-imposed transfer ban that must be resolved before they can register new players. The Gqeberha-based club was sanctioned following an outstanding payment dispute involving former coach Luc Eymael.
CHIPPA UNITED CONFIDENT ABOUT RESOLVING TRANSFER BAN
While the ban remains in place, Chippa are understood to be confident that the matter will be resolved before the next registration window opens, allowing them to proceed with their recruitment plans.
Sources indicate that Mlotshwa was identified as one of the club’s priority targets, prompting Chippa to move swiftly to secure an agreement with Lerumo Lions. However, the transfer can only be completed once the club is cleared to register new players.
Lerumo Lions reportedly exercised an option in Mlotshwa’s contract, extending his stay until the end of the 2027/28 season, meaning Chippa had to negotiate a fee to secure his services.
The KwaZulu-Natal-born striker enjoyed a breakthrough campaign, claiming the second tier’s Golden Boot while helping Lions secure an impressive top-eight finish. He sealed the feat in style with a decisive brace against Black Leopards in the club’s final match of the season.
Mlotshwa surged up the scoring charts during the closing stages of the campaign, overtaking Khethukuthula Ndlovu, Rian Petersen and Sicelo Masilela to emerge as the division’s most prolific striker.
His goals proved crucial for Lerumo Lions, accounting for more than a third of the club’s total league goals as they comfortably established themselves in the second tier.
Mlotshwa’s performances attracted interest from several Betway Premiership clubs, but Chippa moved decisively to win the race for his signature as they look to bolster their attacking options ahead of the new season.
NTUTHUKO MLOTSHWA’S GOALSCORING PEDIGREE
The striker’s goalscoring pedigree extends beyond his exploits this season. During the 2024/25 campaign, he finished as the ABC Motsepe League Golden Boot winner in Mpumalanga while representing Middelburg United before earning a move to Lions.
Despite finishing as the Championship’s top scorer, Mlotshwa believes injuries denied him an even more productive campaign.
A hamstring injury disrupted his momentum and forced him to miss several matches, yet he still ended the season at the summit of the scoring charts.
His rise has been far from straightforward. Before establishing himself as one of the country’s most promising strikers, Mlotshwa endured difficult spells at Magesi FC and Jomo Cosmos, where limited opportunities hampered his progress.
Those experiences have helped shape him into a more complete forward and one of the most exciting attacking prospects outside the Betway Premiership.
With Chippa having reached an agreement for his transfer, Mlotshwa now appears poised to earn the top-flight opportunity, provided the club resolves its transfer ban in time for the new season.
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