Kaizer Chiefs are set to embark on a highly-anticipated preseason tour of Turkey over the next three weeks, as they aim to make a fresh start.
This marks the club’s first tour outside the country in 21 years, a significant step as they aim to restore their status as one of South Africa’s premier football teams.
The tour comes on the heels of a challenging period for Chiefs, who have failed to qualify for the top eight last season and have not won any silverware in nine seasons.
In a bid to reawaken the team’s fortunes, the club have brought in a new technical team, including the incoming coach, Nasreddine Nabi. Nabi’s task is clear: to reawaken the team and guide them back to their former glory.
During their time in Turkey, Chiefs are expected to engage in rigorous training sessions and play friendly matches against top Turkish opposition.
These matches will provide a crucial test for the squad and an opportunity for the new technical team to assess and refine their strategies ahead of the upcoming season.
This tour is seen as a critical step for Chiefs to regain their competitive edge. Meanwhile, their domestic rivals are also making international preseason preparations.
Mamelodi Sundowns are heading to Austria, while Orlando Pirates are returning to Spain.
These trips highlight the increasing trend among top South African clubs to seek high-quality opposition and training facilities abroad to bolster their performance.
“The most crucial aspect of a preseason camp is to make sure that the team is building team unity and overall mental readiness for the season ahead,” said sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jr.
“These are vital as every top team needs to work together to build its internal strength to be prepared for the challenges ahead.
“More specifically for us, with a new incoming coaching structure, it helps for the new coaching team to have the squad away from their normal environment to assess what work must be done and how they need to work going forward together.
“We are looking forward to a very productive preparation process, and we hope the team will be able to focus on the job at hand as we gear towards starting the season very strongly.”