Kaizer Chiefs made a bold decision on out-of-favour midfielder Sibongiseni Mthethwa and have offered his services to former employers Stellenbosch FC, while AmaZulu had hopes of a potential swap deal but faced issues on personal terms as the defensive midfielder’s future hangs in the balance.
Mthethwa earned his dream move of his career switching from Stellenbosch, where he became a household name, to Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs in September 2023 after he had possibly the best season to date with the Cape Winelands side.
His level of performance and influence during his time with The Maroons did not go unnoticed, earning him a spot in the Bafana Bafana set up to don the green and gold.
The Glamour Boys had possibly their worst-ever showing in the 2023/24 season where they finished out of the top 8, having won nine games, drew nine, and lost a shocking 12 out of 30 games for the season which saw Mthethwa make only 18 league appearances and two Cup appearances being in the Carling Knockout and Nedbank Cup.
There is no hiding the fact that the 30-year-old has struggled to make his mark in Naturena and with the rebuilding faze under the guidance of Tunisian tactician Nasreddine Nabi, the Estcourt-born midfielder has lost his place in the team.
Kaizer Motaung Jr has been very verbal in the media, saying that they are still very active in the transfer market and are still looking to bring players in, which he and Nabi feel can bring the glory days back to Naturena. That being said, Mthethwa signed a 3-year deal with Amakhosi, and after one season, the hierarchy have run out of patience and opened the door for an early exit.
In a friendly match against National First Division (NFD) side AmaTuks last week Wednesday, Mthethwa was utilized in an unusual role by head coach Nasreddine Nabi. He and Samkelo Zwane started as the two starting midfielders, but surprisingly moved to centre-back, with Njabulo Blom coming in to partner Zwane in midfield.
In their last friendly match against SuperSport United, ‘Ox’ was overlooked and had no part to play in this match, indicating a decline in him becoming a regular for the Glamour Boys ahead of the upcoming season. The midfield pair of Samkelo Zwane and Njabulo Blom continued where they left off two seasons ago, with Edson Castillo and Yusuf Maart later replacing them.
Written by Marc Strydom.