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Bobby Motaung Kaizer ChiefsBackpagepix
Steve Blues

Bobby Motaung reveals changing room 'mood' was reason why Kaizer Chiefs skipped January signings in their bid to win the CAF Confederation Cup and PSL league title double

Amakhosi's team manager has addressed fan frustrations with the club's lack of activity in the mid-season transfer window by claiming they needed to protect team harmony and pointing out they have off-season transfer recruits who are yet to feature in the Black and Gold.

  • Xhosa Manyana, Cape Town City, January 2026Cape Town City

    Just oe DDC player added

    Amakhosi added just one player - the DStv Diski Challenge recruit Xhosa Manyana - to their roster despite fan frustration over unaddressed squad gaps and watching title rivals Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns bulk up their squads.

    And while Chiefs have won five of their six matches in 2026, their one loss saw them crash out of their title defence of the Nedbank Cup to Stellenbosch at the first hurdle. 

    Bobby Motaung blamed that defeat on the club's crammed schedule and player fatigue.

    But now he has moved to explain why Chiefs were so quiet in the transfer window.

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  • Bobby Motaung, Kaizer ChiefsBackpage

    Motaung explains

    “We are happy with the squad, we brought in a lot of new players (in August) and young players from development," Motaung explained to The Citizen.

    "We have a lot of competitions and some have not played even now. They haven’t been given a chance because of the depth we have.”

    “We can’t complain about the quality of players, and the unity, the team spirit. 

    "We thought ‘let’s not interrupt that’. New players can bring a change in the changing room and the mood,” he claimed.

  • Flavio da Silva, Kaizer Chiefs vs Al Masry, February 2026Backpagepix

    On Chiefs CAF Confederation Cup campaign

    Chiefs top their CAF Confederation Cup Group D but need a point from Sunday's Cairo clash with Zamalek to seal a last-eight spot. A scenario that came about after missing too many chances in Sunday's 2-1 win over Al Masry when they needed a two-goal cushion to claim qualification with a game to spare.

    “Unfortunately we didn’t score the third goal, but it is still open,” Motaung said.

    “It is a good challenge to go positively and fight and win the game [in Cairo].

    "The Nedbank Cup was one of those games... a lot of chances didn’t go our way, that is part of the competition.

    “We are looking forward to the Confederation Cup and the league when we come back from Egypt.”

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  • The forthcoming assignments

    On Sunday, Chiefs host Al Masry, knowing they have no room for mistakes if they are to make the knockout phase.  Once that match is concluded it will be back to focus on domestic matters where at tight PSL title race awaits and any slips ups could be catastrophic as they aim to catch their Soweto rivals Pirates who hold a five-point lead at the summit of the table.

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