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Chiefs confirm Shabba’s departure

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Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Siphiwe Tshabalala

Kaizer Chiefs have confirmed that veteran midfielder Siphiwe Tshabalala has left the club to join Turkish Super Lig outfit Erzurumspor.

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The 33-year-old was excluded from Amakhosi’s MTN8 semi-final first leg clash against SuperSport United over the weekend which further fuelled speculation of his departure.

‘Shabba’, as he is affectionally known, joined Amakhosi back in January 2007 from Free State Stars, but missed the first six months into his debut season with Chiefs through injury.

Although he only made his debut against Bidvest Wits on 31 August 2007, he went on to score his first goal for the club a few months later, in their 1-0 victory over SuperSport United on 31 October 2007.

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Tshabalala has managed to score 58 goals for the Glamour Boys while racking up a total of 372 appearances in all competitions, which included 336 starts and 36 substitute appearances.

The midfielder has picked up a total of eight pieces of silverware during his 12-year spell at Chiefs which includes two Absa Premiership titles, three Telkom Knockout trophies, two MTN8 trophies and one Nedbank Cup.

Tshabalala commented on his move to Erzurumspor: ‘I always wanted to play overseas, in particular in Europe and I have never been shy to talk about that. It should have happened a long time ago, but I think that it’s God’s time. I am grateful that God is giving me this huge opportunity to showcase my talent in Europe.’

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He added: ‘Kaizer Chiefs means a lot to me. Chiefs Village will always be my home and the club will be forever in my heart. It’s my dream to play my last game as a professional player for Kaizer Chiefs before my retirement.

‘I also want to thank the supporters for their love and peace. It has been a great ride for almost 12 years. There have been highs, there have been lows – however, I have enjoyed every minute of it.’

Meanwhile, Amakhosi chairman Kaizer Motaung gave his thoughts on Tshabalala’s departure. ‘We wish Shabba only the best for his future endeavours. Once a Khosi, always a Khosi – he will always be one of us, no matter where he is.’