What was supposed to be a smooth move for Kaizer Chiefs has turned into a bit of a legal headache.
The club believed they had snapped up two promising talents from Cape Town Spurs, only to be hit with a surprise – Spurs claimed the players were still tied down by contracts.
Back in June, Kaizer Chiefs were ready to welcome Asanele Velebayi and Luke Baartman as free agents.
The logic? Spurs had just been relegated from the Motsepe Foundation Championship to the ABC Motsepe League – the third tier of South African football – and by PSL rules, that automatically nullifies player contracts. But Spurs weren’t having it.
Legal Tug-of-War Slows Down Player Announcements
Because of the relegation clause, Chiefs were banking on a clean transfer.
However, Cape Town Spurs insisted both players are still legally theirs.
This disagreement has prevented the Soweto giants from officially announcing or registering either player.
While the lawyers are hashing it out behind the scenes, former Chiefs winger and outspoken analyst Junior Khanye weighed in with his thoughts – and as usual, he didn’t hold back.
Khanye Gives Baartman the Thumbs Up… But Not Velebayi
When asked about the potential signings, Khanye had very different opinions about the two.
“If there’s one player I really hope Chiefs manage to sign, it’s Baartman,” he told Soccer Laduma.
“That kid’s got something special. He’s got the qualities that could genuinely work at a big club like Chiefs.”
But when it came to Velebayi, he was far less convinced.
“People are hyping him up, I get that. But I don’t see him shining at Kaizer Chiefs.
He did well at Cape Town Spurs, sure – and he might suit other teams – but not Chiefs.
It reminds me of players like Ranga Chivaviro or Lebogang Manyama.
Great at smaller clubs, but they didn’t quite cut it at Naturena.”
Khanye Thinks Baartman Might Be Better Off at Pirates
Interestingly, even though he praised Baartman’s talent, Khanye believes he’d be better suited to life at Orlando Pirates rather than Kaizer Chiefs.
“He’s still young and has so much room to grow. At a big club, he’d really develop.
But honestly? I think he’d thrive at Pirates. Playing alongside talents like Relebohile Mofokeng and Tito Maswanganyi could elevate his game.”
He then compared the current struggles of young players like Mduduzi Shabalala and Mfundo Vilakazi at Chiefs – talented but seemingly under pressure and not yet settled.
Your Take: Is Khanye Right or Off the Mark?
Do you agree with Junior Khanye’s views on the two players? Would Baartman shine at Chiefs or is Pirates the better fit? And is Velebayi being overrated?