"It was a tough moment," Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Asanele Velebayi reflects on his journey with legal battles before living his dream

The Cape Town Spurs development product, Asanele Velebayi, joined Kaizer Chiefs at the start of the 2025/26 season after a frustrating contract dispute. Although Spurs tried to claim a transfer fee, their relegation allowed Velebayi to move freely under National Soccer League rules.

The Philippi-born midfielder has since made three appearances for the Soweto giants and, while he is yet to register a direct contribution, he has shown flashes of quality that have already won over the Amakhosi faithful.

Speaking at a media briefing, the 23-year-old said joining the Naturena-based side had always been his dream, admitting the journey to get there was a tough challenge he now hopes to leave firmly in the past.

"I have always wanted to play for this club," Velebayi said as per News24.  

"I am just grateful to be finally here. I don't want to speak too much about what has happened in the past with the legal stuff.

"I am just happy to be here, and that my move finally happened."

"It was a tough moment, not only for me but my family as well," Velebayi added.

He went on to credit himself for staying strong during the difficult times.

"I would like to give a compliment to myself for staying focused, staying fit, and ensuring that I am ready because I didn't know what was going to be the outcome. I wanted to come to Chiefs," he continued.

"That's why I want to compliment myself for the job I did mentally, to ensure that I am ready, keeping fit and not distracted by anything. And then it happened, now I am here."

Velebayi also spoke about settling into the squad and the team’s approach going forward despite a demanding schedule.

"The schedule is crazy," said the 23-year-old.

"It's not something that we want. But it is not something that is in our control. We just have to remain focused and be ready.

"The most important thing is going to be to stay professional on and off the field and make sure that we prepare well for the next game because it's going to be a lot of travelling and playing.

"We just have to control what we can control and be ready for the challenge."

He added that the opportunity has had a significant impact on his life.

"This has been a huge change in my life," said Velebayi.

"Not only as a footballer, but as a person as well because Kaizer Chiefs is a big club. It has changed me a lot.

"But it has also helped me focus more, because of the pressure that comes with playing for Chiefs. It has helped me stay focused more, knowing that there are sacrifices that I have to make now.

"There are things that I can't do. It has been positive in that way, helping me focus more but also keeping my feet on the ground."

Velebayi also highlighted teamwork as a key difference between his former club and the way things are done at Naturena.

"We are hard on each other because of what this club means, not only as players but the coaches also," said Velebayi.

"The difference (between Spurs and Chiefs) is the character and mentality. As a group, we are hard on each other, not because we want to bring each other down but because we have belief in what we can do."

While outlining his future goals, Velebayi stressed that Amakhosi remains his top priority.

"It would be a great thing to represent South Africa in the World Cup," he said as reported by KickOff.

"But again, we don't want to dwell too much on that. What comes first is the team.

"We know that if we do well for the team, the rest will come naturally. So we want to focus more on the team, do well for the team and then control what we can."