Kaizer Chiefs legend launches scathing criticism. Club bosses blamed for losing key midfielder

Legendary former Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Brian Baloyi has launched a scathing attack on his boyhood club’s management for parting ways with midfielder Thabo Cele, who immediately emerged as a leader at Mamelodi Sundowns.

Details: The celebrated South African football veteran expressed his admiration for the 29-year-old midfielder’s professionalism and strong character. Baloyi believes the Amakhosi bosses made an unforgivable blunder by writing the player off solely because of his outspoken nature in the dressing room:

“Teams need strong personalities and players who ask the right questions, rather than simply going with the flow.”

Cele left Kaizer Chiefs last month as a free agent after his contract was terminated. The midfielder had effectively been frozen out of the first team back in the spring because of his criticism of the club’s internal processes, while the team’s new head coach, Fernando da Cruz, made it clear from the very first training sessions that the player was not part of his plans. Mamelodi Sundowns’ management moved swiftly to capitalize on their rivals’ mistake, signing the experienced player for free — and he immediately showcased an outstanding level of performance at the start of the season.

It is worth noting that South African football product Thabo Cele spent a significant spell of his career in Europe, playing in the leagues of Portugal and Poland before returning home. His sparkling performances in a Mamelodi Sundowns shirt have triggered a fresh wave of outrage among Kaizer Chiefs supporters, who are furious that their club strengthened their main rival in the South African title race with no compensation whatsoever.

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