Kaizer Chiefs announce the departure of Bafana Bafana midfielder Yusuf Maart to Austrian Football Bundesliga club SV Ried

Yusuf Maart has left Kaizer Chiefs to join Austrian second-tier side SV Ried after being excluded from the Soweto giants' pre-season tour of the Netherlands.

This was after the midfielder spent the last three seasons at Amakhosi where he helped them end their near-decade long trophy drought with the Nedbank Cup last season.

The announcement comes days after a clip of Maart at the airport was circulated.

South African players are entering a season where they would want to be on top of their game to be in the Bafana Bafana set up.

Hugo Broos' national team will be taking part in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals, and that heightens competition for national team places.

With Maart playing in a European league, he will be hoping to revitalise himself and earn his place back in the Bafana fold.

Maart will presumably be unveiled by the Austrian club shortly.

Then it will be down to pre-season business for the midfielder and his compatriot Antonio van Wyk, who is already a Ried player.