Chiefs and Sundowns team updates and player movements rarely arrive in neat, headline-sized packages. They come layered with personal crossroads, tactical adjustments, and the relentless tug of ambition on and off the pitch. In the space of a few days, Kaizer Chiefs have navigated a coaching twist and a search for sharper finishing, while Mamelodi Sundowns have doubled down on their continental ambitions in the transfer market.
At Naturena, the story is not just about formations, it is about a coach hovering between duty and family, and young players wrestling with form and expectation. In Chloorkop, it is the will to climb back to the African summit that shapes recruitment, with big-name pursuits and European know-how forming the backbone of a bold plan.
Nabi steps back from the brink at Chiefs
Word out of Naturena is that Nasreddine Nabi has rescinded his request to leave Kaizer Chiefs and wants to continue as head coach. The Tunisian tactician had missed three matches as the club opened a private dialogue about his status, after he initially asked to be released in order to be closer to his wife following a car accident, a stark reminder that behind the title there is a person balancing football with life.
Chiefs issued a carefully worded statement while Nabi was absent, framing it as an internal process and asking for patience from supporters. According to a source, his representatives returned to the club to share his change of heart, a development that reportedly surprised management who had prepared a termination letter and a draft announcement, so the hierarchy asked for time to consider the new proposal.
Nabi’s contract runs until June next year, which gives both parties a clear horizon to either stabilise and build or to part amicably at season’s end. In his absence, caretaker co-coaches Cedric Kaze and Khalil Ben Youssef have managed a mixed bag with a win, a draw, and a loss, a steadying hand that kept Chiefs moving while the decision above them simmered.
Duba owns his dip and fights for another chance
Wandile Duba has put humility ahead of excuses, admitting he deserved to lose his place in the starting line-up after a slow start. The 21 year-old began the first four Betway Premiership matches without scoring, then fell out of the matchday group for the last two league fixtures, a tough lesson for a striker learning that top-flight minutes are earned, not guaranteed.
“I didn’t start the season very well. That is why the coach ended up taking me out of the team,” Duba said, adding that he is working to be better and win back the nod. “Every coach needs a striker that scores in his team. Flavio and Mayo got in the team and scored.”
Duba came off the bench in the 1-0 defeat to Kabuscorp in Luanda in the Caf Confederation Cup preliminary round, then watched the return leg at FNB Stadium as Chiefs turned the tie around on penalties. The next chance arrives against AmaZulu, where a brave contribution, even off the bench, could help flip his narrative from stutter to resurgence.
Solomons returns with purpose at right back
Dillon Solomons offered a timely reminder of his value, stepping in for his first appearance of the season and earning a fan-voted Man of the Match nod in the Kabuscorp shootout win. His sharp run and shot just before half time forced a save that fell kindly to Glody Lilepo, who buried the equaliser on aggregate and breathed life into Chiefs’ tie.
“Trying to stay in a good mental state, that was really important,” Solomons said. “Speak to the coaches, find out where you can improve, keep yourself physically good so when the opportunity comes you are ready.”
It has been a crowded lane at right back. Chiefs signed Thabiso Monyane as a free agent after his Orlando Pirates exit, and his early form brought a Bafana call-up before an injury opened the door for Reeve Frosler, then Solomons. The message from Solomons was as selfless as it was steely, the team first, then the individual stake that he has now credibly reasserted.
Kaze looks for sharper finishing and Mayo lift
Cedric Kaze spoke with pragmatic optimism after Chiefs edged Kabuscorp, noting improvement in the final ball and movement. He conceded that the finishing still lagged, and that with better precision the shootout would have been unnecessary, a familiar refrain for a side that has scored more than once in only one match this season, the opening win at Stellenbosch.
“In previous games it was the last pass, and the movement before the pass was not good. But today the chances were there, the last pass was there. The only thing to do is to keep working, and in the next games we are going to have more players and more options available,” Kaze said.
The name on many lips is Khanyisa Mayo, who scored on his Chiefs debut against Marumo Gallants and, while not yet fully match fit, showed the instincts that move the scoreboard. He was not registered in time for the Confederation Cup tie, but he will be available for the next round, and is set to lead the line against AmaZulu, a timely boost as Chiefs seek to snap a run of two Premiership games without a win after a defeat to Sekhukhune and a draw with Gallants.
The broader context matters. Chiefs started with four wins in five league matches, then stumbled, and they know from the last two seasons that momentum can fade. Kaze wants consistency and a stronger cutting edge, and the immediate assignment is a testing meeting with Arthur Zwane’s AmaZulu, who will be without Siyanda Hlangabeza after a red card in their defeat to TS Galaxy.
Quick takeaways
- first whistle – Nabi reverses exit request and Chiefs weigh next steps,
- transfer watch – Sundowns expected to push again for Fiston Mayele,
- finishing focus – Chiefs look to Mayo’s spark while Duba fights for minutes.
Inside Sundowns transfer plan and Mayele pursuit
Mamelodi Sundowns remain the benchmark for strategic recruitment, and the club is expected to revive its pursuit of Fiston Mayele when the next window opens. Mayele, now at Pyramids FC, was a priority target before the last window closed, but the Egyptian club held firm, viewing the Congolese striker as indispensable after his scoring run that included the Champions League final second leg and a decisive blow to Orlando Pirates in the semi-finals, a pedigree that fits Sundowns’ continental aims.
It is believed Pyramids have improved Mayele’s contract to deter suitors from South Africa and the Middle East, yet Sundowns are not expected to walk away. The ambition is clear, the Brazilians want the extra layer of firepower to recapture the CAF Champions League that they last won in 2016, a target that burned hotter after a recent loss in the final, a reminder that margins at the top are thin.
Sources suggest Sundowns were prepared to let Peter Shalulile leave had Mayele arrived, a move that ultimately did not materialise on either end. It underlines how highly Mayele is rated around Chloorkop, where the power brokers are ready to be bold if the right player can tilt the balance of a continental campaign.
Portuguese reinforcements arrive at Chloorkop
Coach Miguel Cardoso has already ushered in two signings from Portugal, Nuno Santos and Miguel Reisinho, a move he framed as opportunistic and necessary after key departures, including Footballer of the Season Lucas Ribeiro. Santos arrived from Vitória de Guimarães in a reported 20 million rand deal, while Reisinho came in as a free agent after leaving Boavista, a double capture that speaks to Sundowns’ reach under billionaire owner and CAF president Patrice Motsepe.
“It’s not easy to bring these kinds of players,” Cardoso said. “We waited for the end of the market, other things did not work out, and at the last minute these two opportunities appeared. Let’s hope they can impact the team the way we want them to.”
Santos has wasted no time, delivering a man of the match display in a 4-1 win over Richards Bay on only his second appearance. Reisinho is being eased in, having trained without official matches before joining, and is in line for a debut in the Carling Knockout last 16 against Marumo Gallants, with a friendly and a full training week pencilled in to build rhythm and assess his response.
“Our intention is to bring in the players as quickly as possible. If he shows adaptation and capacity, then we will not have problems because we need players upfront, where we are lacking the capacity to substitute players,” Cardoso added.
The method is consistent, recruit targeted quality and integrate quickly, then set standards high. In a squad that already dominates domestically, the new arrivals are judged by what they add in knockout moments in Africa, where Sundowns want precision, creativity, and depth to see out the long road to a title.
Maema path detours to Simba after Chiefs interest
Neo Maema’s situation offered a different viewing angle on South African transfer dynamics. Chiefs were serious admirers and made approaches, including in January, but Sundowns were reluctant to sell a talented attacking midfielder to a direct Premiership rival. In the end, Maema secured a loan move to Simba SC in Tanzania, a route chosen to reboot his minutes after a season of limited game time.
Maema leaves Chloorkop with a weighty medal collection, four league titles, the Nedbank Cup, the MTN8 and the inaugural African Football League, a haul that speaks to his impact during a successful four-year spell. Whether Chiefs rekindle their interest when his East African stint ends remains an open question, but for now the priority is for Maema to recapture the rhythm that once made him one of South Africa’s most exciting attacking talents.
What it all means for the weeks ahead
Chiefs have the feel of a team at a pivot point. If Nabi is retained, the club can settle the noise and re-commit to a plan that lifts the goal return and sustains momentum. The shootout win over Kabuscorp could serve as a psychological hinge, with the final round of Confederation Cup qualifying looming against either Simba FC of the DR Congo or Djabal of the Comoros, and with Mayo available to add punch in that phase.
In the Premiership, the upcoming match against AmaZulu is both a chance to reset and a test of patience, especially for attackers like Duba who are eager to convert honest reflection into goals. Chiefs have seen promising starts fade in the last two seasons, finishing tenth and then ninth, and that memory fuels a drive to avoid another mid-campaign wobble.
For Sundowns, the blueprint is familiar, set the domestic pace and fine tune for Africa. The pursuit of Mayele, the swift integration of Santos, and the careful ramp-up for Reisinho show a club leaning into its structures and resources. The bar is the Champions League, and every move is weighed against that standard, from potential outgoings to calculated marquee bids.
These parallel stories remind us that South African football is not just about matchday ninety minutes. It is about people who recalibrate in difficult moments, sporting projects that demand long-term thinking, and the hunger to write new chapters on the biggest stages. As Chiefs and Sundowns navigate the coming weeks, the contests will be as much about resolve and clarity as they are about goals and points, and that is where the drama often hits hardest.
