Kaizer Chiefs ended their long pursuit of defender Rushwin Dortley when he was signed last transfer window, writes Mazola Molefe.

Kaizer Chiefs’ pursuit of defender Rushwin Dortley is one of incredible persistence given how far back their interest in the player goes.

March 2022 was the first time AmaKhosi were linked with the then Cape Town Spurs teenager, who had made his way up the youth ranks and was being noticed by junior national team selectors.

And even at the time the Urban Warriors were already pricing Dortley out of the market by asking what Chiefs felt was an unreasonable valuation for a 19-year-old who was playing in the National First Division.

The talks collapsed, but the desire to lure him to Naturena never completely went away and prior to his move the player had admitted furthering his career in the lower leagues after Spurs were relegated at the end of the 2023/24 campaign would surely hurt his progress and indeed a chance to play for Bafana Bafana.

By Mazola Molefe 5 “It’s difficult to get recognition because the games are not always televised – the only time you get seen is if you are lying on top [of the log] or second, then your games are on TV and the coaches come to watch the games,” Dortley said while on national team duty for the annual COSAFA Cup in Gqeberha.

“Now in the PSL [topflight], most of the games are televised and there’s a better platform to showcase our talent and get chose for the national team.”

Chiefs began scouting Dortley soon after their transfer ban was lifted ahead of the 2021/22 season when Stuart Baxter had returned to the club.

The newly appointed sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jnr was adamant they wanted to reduce the average age of the squad and Dortley was top of the list of targets.

It was former analyst Sinesipho Mali who was credited with putting in the work to identify Dortley as a potential player to don the black and gold of the Soweto giants because of his extensive work with national teams at all levels.

But even with Mali leaving Naturena around the same time the deal failed to materialise, the fact that Chiefs have since signed Dortley on a three-year deal suggests he was always a club target and not one recommended by just one individual.

Dortley is a product of the famous Ajax Cape Town academy that breeds young talent like a delicious chocolate factory.

The utility defender, who can also play as a left back, arrived at Ikamva aged 17 and was promoted to the senior team two years later during somewhat of a transition phase as the club’s partnership with Ajax Amsterdam ended.

Some will argue it was rather late to join an academy and perhaps slowed down his trajectory to one of the traditional big clubs in South Africa.

However, a move to Chiefs at 22 when Spurs have just dropped to the NFD will give critics something to chew on. The junior national teams helped Dortley become a prominent figure more quickly.

Despite this, he did not qualify for major Africa Cup of Nations or World Cup competitions over the years. However, he would have been part of the Olympic Games team this year if coach David Notoane had successfully guided the under-23 squad to Paris.

Dortley believed he made his mark as captain during the COSAFA Cup to be seen by coach Hugo Broos, who will now no doubt take note following his move to Chiefs.

“It’s a big honour first of all to be chosen for this team and represent the country – and being the captain of this great team at this level is another honour for me.

When I saw the list of the 51 players I was like ‘wow’. There’s a lot of talent and I felt it would be tough to make the team, but I believed in my ability that I had shown during the season,” Dortley said when stand-in coach Helman Mkhalele gave him the armband.

“My hard work paid off and I made the team.” Dortley now switches over to different demands at Chiefs, a big institution that has struggled over the last decade without winning a single major trophy.

With coach Nasreddine Nabi bold enough to publicly state that AmaKhosi have made errors in the type of signings brought in, one wonders where he rates Dortley, who had been on the club’s wanted list for several years.

Only time will tell whether Dortley can displace Botswana international Thatayaone Ditlhokwe for room as the preferred choice at left centre back or bide his time before eventually becoming a household name at Naturena.