Kaizer Chiefs striker Etiosa Ighodaro on track to have his worst season in South African football after latest injury update

When Etiosa Ighodaro joined Kaizer Chiefs in August 2025, Sporting Director, Kaizer Motaung Jr. enthusiastically welcomed the goalscorer with a statement that said:

"We warmly welcome Etiosa into the Kaizer Chiefs family. We're excited that he has joined our journey. His passion, work rate and dedication will surely add to the team this season and beyond. We look forward to creating unforgettable moments together in the Gold & Black colours of the Glamour Boys. Here’s to new beginnings and the spirit of Amakhosi."

The Chiefs boss must have been dreaming of goals and glory with the Nigerian in the frontline, but an early-season injury saw the striker miss the first two months of the season, only making his debut against Siwelele in late October.

In Ighodaro's second match, he scored the opener in a 3-1 CAF Confederation Cup victory over the DR Congo's AS Simba, and it seemed that Motaung Jr's dreams of "creating unforgettable moments together" were on the verge of coming true.

Unfortunately, the striker only lasted five more goalless matches before succumbing to injury again and having to sit on the sidelines for almost three months.

"Unfortunately, Ighodaro is still out far away and needs another two weeks," Ben Youssef said in his press conference on Monday ahead of their PSL clash with Stellenbosch.

Chiefs will have, at most, 12 or 13 matches left in their league season once the Nigerian returns to action, and he will likely need time and some substitution minutes to get back up to full match fitness.

With just one goal to his name in CAF competition but still blank on his PSL account for Chiefs, Ighodaro will need to go on a scoring burst if he is to avoid his worst season record in South African football.

According to Transfermarkt, his worst goal-scoring return was six in 27 matches across all competitions for AmaZulu in the 2024/25 season, where he only missed three matches all season.

Chiefs fans will be very familiar with the sight of a renowned striker who has lit up the PSL with their goal-scoring exploits, only to fire blanks as soon as they get to Naturena. But we should not bracket Ighodaro in the same bracket just yet. He has been very unlucky with injuries at Chiefs and will be 'like a new signing' when he recovers fully and gets a chance to show what he can do in the Black and Gold.

If the timeline provided by Ben Youssef proves accurate, then the Nigerian will be in contention for a place against Durban City on March 15, with a run of Magesi, Orbit College, TS Galaxy and Orbit College again, where hopefully the Nigerian will prove his goalscoring worth.