Kaizer Chiefs have completed their second signing for the 2023/24 season in a bid to close the gap on Mamelodi Sundowns.
Over the past few years, Amakhosi have struggled to bring quality players to Naturena.
The failure to bring quality has resulted in them falling far behind Sundowns, who are on the verge of winning their sixth successive title.
But this time around, Chiefs are seemingly doing things differently.
In January, they announced the capture of Botswana national team captain Thatayaone Ditlhokwe on a free transfer.
Ditlhokwe had just penned a pre-contract with the Soweto giants, which will see him move to Naturena at the end of the season.
The Zebras skipper is concluding his stay at Matsatsantsa and has continued to excel.
SN24 can confirm that Chiefs have concluded a deal to bring Mduduzi Mdantsane to Soweto on a three-year deal.
Mdantsane recently reached the 100 caps mark for Cape Town City. However, his journey with the Citizens ends in May when the curtain comes down on the 2022/23 DStv Premiership season.
“The two clubs agreed on a transfer fee earlier in March, but he will only join Chiefs at the end of the season. Mdu always felt it was time to move, and he tried moving in January, but the deal failed at the last minute,” Mdantsane’s teammate at City told SN24.
Mdantsane, who had a stint with Chiefs at development level, came close to joining Amakhosi in January.
The move collapsed just before the January transfer window closed. It would seem Amakhosi continued pushing for it, and they finally have their man.
City head coach Eric Tinkler conceded he had accepted he would lose the talented player during the last transfer window until the deal fell through.
“The little that I know, it was very, very close. It was last minute that Kaizer Chiefs opted not to go through with the deal,” Tinkler told Marawa Sports Worldwide.
Since then, talk has been that Amakhosi will continue pursuing Mdantsane, who was once part of their academy.
After the failed move in January, City owner John Comitis confirmed the club had exercised its one-year option on his contract.
According to sources within Chiefs, Coach Arthur Zwane is thrilled to reunite with the left-footed number 10. The two previously worked together in the Chiefs’ junior structures, and Zwane admires the 28-year-old.
“Coach Arthur Zwane believes Mdu will add much value to the squad as we look to get back to winning ways,” said the source.
The former Baroka FC captain is a talented playmaker with the ability to unlock defences and the knack for scoring all-important goals.
Zwane hopes the star midfielder will bring his creativity and scoring boots to Naturena.
Interestingly, in 2019, when he switched from Baroka to City, there were reports that Chiefs had shown interest.
At the time, he explained that the Citizens “saw a chance, and they utilised it”. He had penned a three-and-a-half-year deal with the Mother City outfit.
“It’s a great team, and they showed an interest, unlike the others – it was all rumours.
“I don’t know anything about Chiefs; it was just rumours. It was just all talk, no action, and no calls, so; no one phoned me; only Cape Town City called, and we reached an agreement.
“I just want to play football. It doesn’t matter what’s happening as long as I play football. I got an opportunity, so I just had to grab it,” he said back then.