Kaizer Chiefs will do their best to add attacking quality in the January transfer window. Is this prolific legend on their wish list?
OLUNGA IN CHIEFS’ CROSSHAIRS
30-year-old Michael Olunga bagged a hat-trick in the first match of this season’s Qatar Stars League. In his entire club career, he’s scored a stunning tally of 190 goals in 253 matches. In his last 61 league matches in Qatar, he’s scored a ludicrous 62 goals. No matter who you’re playing for, a scoring rate of more than a goal per game is absurd.
Olunga has played for Kenyan giants Gor Mahia, Swedish side Djurgardens, Spanish LaLiga’s Girona, Chinese outfit Hengfeng, Kashiwa Reysol from Japan’s J-League and Qatari club Al-Duhail SC. To say he’s Kenya’s greatest is probably an understatement, but perhaps brother duo Victor Wanyama and McDonald Mariga would like a word. Chiefs are considering an ambitious move for the man valued at R180 million, but his wage demands and signing-on fee will likely be prohibitive.
According to Soccer-Laduma, Amakhosi could revisit interest in the experienced Kenyan legend Olunga to complement Ranga Chivaviro up top.
“You see at the moment the Fiston Mayele mission looks impossible because after losing Fagrie Lakay, Pyramids FC don’t want to lose Mayele as well. That’s why Chiefs are now looking at Michael (Olunga) for January as well. So they are revisiting that interest. They feel it will be much easier getting Michael at this point than to stay on the Mayele chase,” said one source.
“Yes, the main focus in January is on a striker and since it’s becoming clear that they may not get Fiston Mayele, they have reignited interest in Michael Olunga. But whatever the team does, they want to have a striker in January to play with Ranga (Chivaviro). At the moment Ranga is their main striker while Wandile (Duba) is like a second striker but more of a winger from Nabi’s point of view. So they are looking at Olunga once again,” said the second source.
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MASSIVE : Nasreddine Nabi’s paycheck at Kaizer Chiefs revealed
Kaizer Chiefs Nasreddine Nabi is one of the highest-paid coaches in Africa. He’s been brought in to end a decade-long trophy drought.
Kaizer Chiefs Nasreddine Nabi is the PSL’s highest-paid coach, leapfrogging Mamelodi Sundowns’ Rulani Mokwena.
And it’s not even close.
CONTRACT DETAILS
According to SNL24, Nabi takes home €40,000 per month, which is around R783,000 – that’s 33.5% more than Mokwena’s R600,000-a-month contract.
This is a statement hiring for a team trying to end a 10-year trophy drought; it seems they’ve gone for the ‘if you want to beat the best, you’ve got to get the best’ philosophy.
KAIZER CHIEFS’ CURRENT FORM
Kaizer Chiefs, who lie sixth on the log, have enjoyed a near-perfect start to the season, scoring six goals in three games.
Their only loss of the season came in controversial style against reigning champions Sundowns’ as an offside Lucas Ribeiro assisted Iqraam Rayner’s go-ahead goal.
Still, a 2-1 loss showed significant improvement from the 5-0 thumping they endured from the Brazilians at the end of the 2023/24 season.
Nabi, along with new signing Gastòn Sirino, has installed new life into AmaKhosi, a side that now looks ready to challenge for titles.
In a post-match interview, Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Brandon Peterson gave an insight into the club’s new leader, saying, “He Is a coach with principles. He Is a coach that wants you to do what he expects you to do. And he won’t expect you to do something that you can’t do,
“He knows the quality we have at Chiefs and he knows each and every player and what he’s capable of. So for me, it’s the fact of trying to bring that out of a player. And, when it’s time to work, it’s time to work. He’ll be shouting, he’ll be grinding us, but as you can see, it’s paying dividends on the field.
“There’s time to joke, there’s time to have a good time, but when it’s working, it’s about working. And I think the switch up we made as players, it’s a fine line between going out and having fun and when it’s time to work.
“That’s the important thing for us this season, we look like we’re getting it right. It’s making that switch up, when it comes to working, we’re working.”
