It may not have been confirmed by Kaizer Chiefs, but Bongani Sam is now officially an Amakhosi player after being spotted at their pre-season training in Turkey.
With Chiefs not having confirmed the transfer, the cat is now very much out of the bag. There were numerous reports of Sam being spotted at the airport with Chiefs before boarding the flight to Turkey, as reported by The South African.
And now iDiski Times have published an image of Sam at Chiefs’ training in Turkey.
The 26-year-old left-back was behind Paseka Mako and Innocent Maela in the pecking order at Pirates and as a result spent last season on loan at Swallows.
However, there has never been any doubt about his talent and he now joins an exclusive group of players who have represented both Soweto giants. Only a dozen or so players have represented both Pirates and Chiefs dating all the way back to the inception of the National Soccer League in 1971 such is the fierceness of the rivalry between the two clubs.
Those players include the likes of Marks Maponyane, Sizwe Motaung, Jabu Mahlangu (Pule), Collins Mbesuma, Pollen Ndlanya, Ace Khuse, Lehlohonolo Majoro, Stanton Fredericks, Siphelele Mthembu, Marc Bachelor, Gert Schalkwyk and William Twala.
Highlands Park academy product Sam has played 88 games in the South African top-flight across spells with Pirates, Moroka Swallows, Bloemfontein Celtic and Maritzburg United, whilst he has been capped once by Bafana Bafana.