While Orlando Pirates parade new signings, Kaizer Chiefs fans ask: Where is the shiny, new striker who will fire Nasreddine Nabi’s revolution to life?

Time waits for no one in football, especially not clubs desperate for a turnaround. With Nasreddine Nabi’s set to begin a crucial pre-season tour in the Netherlands, Chiefs fans hoped a new striker would be leading the team’s line in training by now. 

Instead, they’re watching Pirates unveil player after player while Naturena remains eerily quiet on the attacking front. The glaring need for not one, but two strikers has been obvious since last season’s goal-scoring woes. Yet Chiefs’ recruitment in this area remains… well, invisible.

For a brief moment, there was excitement. Fiston Mayele, the lethal Congolese striker lighting up the Egyptian Premier League with Pyramids, was rumoured to be on the radar. Chiefs fans dared to dream. Then his brother poured cold water on the rumour, calling it baseless. Given Mayele’s price tag and profile, a move was always going to be ambitious. 

But that’s exactly what Chiefs need, ambition. If Nabi wants a team capable of challenging for honours, he’ll need someone who can finish the chances his style of play will surely create. Mayele seemed ideal. Sadly, he appears unavailable.

While striker talk remains vague, Chiefs’ only confirmed (though not officially announced) player seems to be Ethan Chislett - a silky midfielder who played for English League Two side Port Vale FC. No doubt, Chislett brings creativity and could be a gem, but even Lionel Messi would struggle without someone finishing his passes. 

Chiefs’ midfield is already a mix of experience and promise, but the real hole is up front. Every other department is getting patched, but the goalscoring department has been left with a “Back Soon” sign on the door. One wonders: is there even a shortlist of strikers, or is the club gambling on late-market miracles?

Aside from the dismissed Mayele links, there’s been little noise around “elite” strikers linked to Chiefs. A few whispers have circulated about forward Jean Charles Ahoua from Simba SC, Mamelodi Sundowns’ Etiosa Ighodaro and Flavio Silva, a Portuguese striker with roots in Guinea-Bissau.

South African football doesn’t exactly have a glut of top-tier finishers, which means looking beyond borders is a must. A move for a top striker from North or West Africa could complement Nabi’s philosophy and connections. But if those discussions are happening, they’re being kept under tight wraps. Chiefs fans aren’t asking for Kylian Mbappé, they’re just asking for anyone who can score more than five goals a season.

Without a proven striker, Nabi will be forced to rely on existing options like Tashreeq Morris, Wandile Duba, or Ashley du Preez, who have all struggled with consistency. That’s not the foundation of a title-challenging side. 

Chiefs fans have endured far too many false dawns. This window is supposed to mark a new chapter. But a striker-less start risks writing the same old story: plenty of promise, not enough punch. If Pirates can sign eight players in a week, surely Chiefs can sign one who knows how to hit the back of the net?

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