The Cats are finally out of the bag!
Kaizer Chiefs announced the arrival of three new players to bolster their squad for the second half of the season. Amakhosi announced that they’ve signed striker Tashreeq Morris, midfielder Thabo Cele and attacker Makabi Lilepo.
Morris, who put pen to paper on a two-and-a-half-year deal, had been linked with the move to the Naturena-based club for the past few days now, with his former coach at SuperSport United, Gavin Hunt, recently announcing his departure from the club on national TV, while thanking him for his contribution.
New Player Signings
— Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) January 27, 2025
Kaizer Chiefs have officially confirmed the addition of Tashreeq Morris as one of their signings of the January transfer window.https://t.co/ektYRGBARu #Amakhosi4Life #AlwaysHome #WelcomeMorris pic.twitter.com/RMgVmVQzxR
Morris had done well for United this season, scoring four goals and supplying two assists in 16 matches across all competitions. His imminent arrival at Chiefs wasn’t well received by some of the club’s faithful, given the fact that he was signed by SuperSport after being club-less. However, according to the club’s sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jr, the 31-year-old joins the club with a lot of backing from the technical team.
“He is an experienced striker who came highly recommended by coach (Nasreddine) Nabi and his technical team after their assessment,” Motaung Jr said in the statement.
However, the arrival of Cele is what has probably excited the Amakhosi fan base the most, given his exploits and trajectory in his career. The 28-year-old Durban-born footballer signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with Chiefs, with an option for a further year — a feat that speaks volumes of the trust in his abilities.
New Player Signings
— Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) January 27, 2025
Chiefs Sign Congolese international, Glody Makabi Lilepo from French club Valenciennes FC from France https://t.co/ektYRGBARu#Amakhosi4Life #AlwaysHome #WelcomeLilepo pic.twitter.com/XRCKDkTo7G
Cele’s career blossomed in 2016 when he left South Africa and moved abroad, plying his trade in Portugal, Poland, and recently in Russia at Fakel Voronezh. He boasts international experience as well, having represented Bafana Bafana and the respective junior national teams, including the Under-20s and Under-23s.
Having admitted his interest in joining Chiefs, Motaung Jr said they were finally happy to bring him on board and don the gold and black jersey of the club.
“It’s been a long time coming for Thabo, and we are both glad that he’s finally here,” Motaung Jr explained. “We know his quality, and we are looking forward to his contribution to the squad as we continue to build (the team under coach Nabi).”
New Player Signings
— Kaizer Chiefs (@KaizerChiefs) January 27, 2025
Kaizer Chiefs are delighted to announce a further addition to their squad with the acquisition of experienced midfielder, Thabo Cele.https://t.co/ektYRGBARu#Amakhosi4Life #AlwaysHome #WelcomeCele pic.twitter.com/4Eyc1OVHqE
Meanwhile, Chiefs seem to be hellbent on fixing their scoring woes, having created clear-cut chances without much success since the start of the season. They bolstered their attacking unit with DR Congo international Lilepo, who joins Amakhosi on a two-and-a-half-year deal, which includes a one-year extension.
The 27-year-old brings a wealth of experience to the club. He played on the continent for Al Hilal of Sudan and AS Vita of his homeland.
His latest club, though, was France-based side Valenciennes, where he scored four goals and registered two assists across 16 games this season. Lilepo is set to replace his countryman Christian Saile, who was part of the Morris deal after moving to Tshwane giants SuperSport.
“We’ll do our utmost best to help him settle in quickly, and we look forward to seeing him in action soon,” said Motaung Jr on the arrival of Lilepo.
While Lilepo is still set to get his work permit, Morris and Cele might be available for selection when Chiefs play arch-rivals Orlando Pirates in the Soweto derby on Saturday.