A clause in Faiz Abrahams’ loan agreement forced Kaizer Chiefs to withdraw the attacker from their starting line-up against Stellenbosch FC just before kick-off on Tuesday evening.
Abrahams had initially been named to face his parent club in the Betway Premiership encounter at FNB Stadium. However, Chiefs revised their team before the match, bringing in Mduduzi Shabalala for the Stellenbosch loanee.
Shabalala made the most of his unexpected start, cancelling out Sinoxolo Kwayiba’s second-half opener. Kwayiba had put Stellenbosch ahead shortly after the restart, before Shabalala levelled about 10 minutes later.
The 1-1 draw was Amakhosi’s third successive stalemate, and they have won three of their eight games this season. They have yet to lose a match in the Bertwayu Premiership this season.
Abrahams’ late change raised questions, particularly after Amakhosi assistant coach Dillon Sheppard revealed that the technical team had prepared for the fixture with Abrahams in their plans.
The explanation lies in the agreement that brought the attacker to Naturena. Abrahams is prohibited from playing against Stellenbosch during his loan spell.
According to information provided to FARPost, the Chiefs technical team was reportedly unaware of the restriction when selecting the starting XI. Stellenbosch are understood to have queried Abrahams’ inclusion after seeing the line-up.
The clause was subsequently brought to the technical team’s attention, prompting his withdrawal. The situation is understood to have stemmed from a communication lapse over the conditions of his loan.
Abrahams joined Chiefs on a season-long deal ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, with Amakhosi retaining an option to make the transfer permanent. Stellenbosch confirmed those terms when announcing his departure in August. Abrahams had been set for his second start and fifth appearance for Amakhosi. Instead, Shabalala was drafted into the starting side and went on to score Chiefs’ equaliser in the 1-1 draw.
SHEPPARD: ‘WE HAD PREPARED THE GAME WITH HIM’
Speaking after the match, Sheppard offered little detail about the circumstances behind the change but confirmed that Abrahams had been part of the team’s preparations.
“I don’t want to comment too much about it because I didn’t know too much leading up to it, because we had prepared the game with him.”
His comments confirmed how late the issue reached the coaching staff. Chiefs had planned to use Abrahams, only to adjust their selection shortly before the encounter began.
The reported sequence of events also explains why the attacker appeared in the original line-up before being removed. The same restriction reportedly became a point of contention during Orlando Pirates’ pursuit of Abrahams. Pirates were also interested in the attacker but reportedly objected to a condition preventing him from featuring against Stellenbosch.
Meanwhile, Sheppard acknowledged that Amakhosi struggled to sustain control despite a promising opening.
“I think we controlled the early parts of the game with our possession and created some moments in the pockets, but as the game went on, we lost control a bit. We were too inconsistent with our performance.”
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