Kaizer Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp has been interested in bringing in more experience at Naturena and he says the club is still looking at the transfer market after four signings.
Amakhosi have already brought in top-rated Zambian forward Lazarous Kambole from Zesco United, SA-born central midfielder Kearyn Baccus and Serbian striker Samir Nurkovic from Melbourne United in Australia, while also signing Ghanaian midfielder James Kotei from Simba SC.
With all the arrivals aged between 25 to 27, Middendorp has looked to bring in ready-made quality to complement the young talent coming through at Naturena.
Middendorp will be desperate to change the club’s fortunes after a tumultuous 2018-19 campaign where they extended their trophy drought to four seasons, and the German admitted to the media on Monday that he is still assessing his options in the market.
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‘Let’s observe. We always watch the market. As long as the opportunity is there‚ and the transfer market is open until the end of August … we will have a look.’
The Chiefs coach was then asked if he had hand-picked the clubs signings, to which he responded:
‘No‚ no‚ Kaizer Chiefs made signings‚ Kaizer Chiefs made decisions. And I’ve said it over the past six months that it’s not a one-man show. It’s a one-man show in terms of blaming — I’m aware of that.
‘But we have a very clear structure inside this big brand‚ having scouted around and having a very clear identification before the signings were done.
‘It was important for us to put some parameters to it — probably not going for 19-‚ 20-year-olds‚ but going for guys between 24 and 28.
‘We wanted to see that these players had no handicap in terms of being injured or being parked in a dustbin with other clubs.
‘That they had regularly played more than 30 games at their former clubs — in Europe‚ Australia‚ Zambia or Tanzania,’ concluded Middendorp.
