The former Polokwane City winger is among the players who have been in a trajectory mode this season with the Buccaneers. The tricky player made the final squad for the biennial competition with the other eight players from the Sea Robbers, who are flying high in the Premier Soccer League. He, however, was injured against the Black Galaxies.
The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Bronze winners played their final build-up game against the West African nation on Tuesday evening, where they laboured to a morale-boosting victory. The team will now leave for Morocco on Wednesday, December 17, with hopes of bringing glory back to Mzansi for the second time in their history.
The 21-year-old versatile attacker has been a factor in the Premier Soccer League, where he has consistently delivered for the Rockets, who gave him a chance following his unceremonious exit from the Glamour Boys' junior team two seasons ago. He has been linked with several top teams in the country and abroad.
Amakhosi are under a co-coaching arrangement between Cedric Kaze and Khalil ben Youssef following the departure of Nasreddine Nabi earlier this season. But with the Soweto giants struggling to challenge for trophies, some fans want the club to consider the former Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly coach for the top job at Naturena.
The 21-year-old winger endured an unceremonious exit from Amakhosi but has since reinvented himself at TS Galaxy, emerging as one of the standout performers in the PSL. His exploits with the Rockets have placed him on the fringes of the Bafana Bafana setup and has a chance of featuring at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. His form has also sparked transfer speculation, linking him with a return to Amakhosi as well as interest from Mamelodi Sundowns and the Buccaneers.
The two coaches continue to attract scrutiny as some question whether they are capable of leading the Soweto giants to success. Before the Africa Cup of Nations break, Chiefs had a chance to go level with Orlando Pirates point-wise, but they collected just two from a possible six, putting Kaze and Ben Youssef under more pressure. Angry for more titles, some have been calling for the Naturena outfit to consider the more experienced Mosimane, who is not with a club now.
The 20-year-old has made a huge leap in his young career, sealing a major move just nine months after breaking into professional football. While he was widely tipped to take the European route, the defender has instead opted for a switch to America, a decision that has sparked mixed reactions. Two former Amakhosi midfielders have come out strongly in support of the move after his national team coach openly voiced his opposition.
Despite being overlooked by Bafana Bafana for the Africa Cup of Nations, the former Platinum Stars player has maintained his impressive club form, delivering influential performances and playing a key role in driving his side into the next round of the cup competition as his momentum continues to build.
The 73-year-old former Kaizer Chiefs tactician has raised a similar concern to what Hugo Broos highlighted as he prepares Bafana for the Africa Cup of Nations. Bafana have been training without players who are still attached to their clubs in Europe. According to Broos, it is only possible for those stars to link up with the rest a few days before the tournament begins in Morocco.
Despite bringing in 11 new faces to Naturena in the last PSL transfer window, the Soweto giants are still expected to go into the market to address issues in creativity and their inconsistent scoring. More transfer activity could help fix those problematic departments in a team that has, however, shown clear improvement in defence and goalkeeping this season. A former Amakhosi player has already recommended an in-form PSL star as the club’s ideal next signing.
The 20-year-old found himself in hot water with his national team coach after arriving late for AFCON camp in Pretoria. He had missed his flight from Durban after being granted two days off to recover from the Buccaneers’ participation in the Carling Knockout final. The incident infuriated the Belgian tactician, who did not hold back in publicly castigating the defender’s actions.
The former South Africa international made his name with the Glamour Boys, serving them as a player and a senior member of the technical team. He also coached Amakhosi via several stints before unforeseen circumstances led to his unceremonious exit to Usuthu where he is currently serving at the helm of the first-team.
The reigning Premier Soccer League champions are in Botswana, where they took part in a tournament, as most of their players were not involved in the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), starting December 21 to January 18 in Morocco. Masandawana showed their class, reaping their opponents apart as the technical team continues working on their tactics.
The 61-year-old coach has surprisingly failed to stay long in each of his last four jobs, a sharp contrast to the stability he enjoyed at SuperSport United, Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly. He is currently unattached amid speculation rife about his next move. With Hugo Broos expected to step down after the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the former Abha Club coach is already being linked with a possible return to Bafana Bafana as well as other teams.
The 19-year-old forward is highly expected to help end Amakhosi’s long-standing goal-scoring troubles as the Soweto giants seek to have their attack match an improved defence. He faces tough competition for game time from experienced forwards like Glody Lilepo, Etiosa Ighodaro, Flavio da Silva and Khanyisa Mayo. But this is his opportunity to show Chiefs supporters that he can be the striker the club has always been searching for.
With key players unavailable as they are focused on the Africa Cup of Nations, Ouaddou is expected to give playtime to other stars. In the team that has landed in Durban ahead of the showdown against All-Stars, there are a few players, including a teenager, who could be deployed. After winning the Carling Knockout, the Bucs might win another trophy on Saturday, although it is not an official cup.
The World Football Governing Body gave clubs powers to retain players until just six days before the biennial competition kicks off in North Africa. Many teams have been negatively affected, including South Africa, who have been forced to leave behind some key players scheduled to join them in Morocco later.
The Warriors are among the 24 nations on the continent that will be in action in the next couple of days, hoping to make a statement in North Africa. However, they will have to do without former Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns winger, alongside a Premier Soccer League midfielder who insists he was ready to represent his country.
The 28-year-old former Kaizer Chiefs defender played a crucial role in helping the Red and Blues claim maximum points in a seven-goal thriller staged at the National Arena in Bucharest. The Romanian heavyweights started the campaign on a low note but are seemingly getting it right in the crucial stage of Europe's second-tier competition.
The 36-year-old midfielder made headlines when Chloorkop announced his arrival, as he had been a key player for the Soweto Giants, who were on the verge of clinching the league title. Unfortunately for Chiefs supporters, it was Masandawana who ultimately lifted the trophy at the final hour, with the former Chiefs midfielder part of the victorious team—a development that left a bitter taste for Amakhosi faithful.
The Naturena-based outfit has, over the past few seasons, struggled to fully demonstrate its big club status in the Premier Soccer League, consistently falling short and finishing the campaign outside the top eight. However, despite their struggles last season, they managed to break their long-standing trophy drought by being crowned champions of the Nedbank Cup, a moment widely viewed as the start of new beginnings. That success appears to have carried into the 2025/26 season, with the club opening the campaign on a high note and delivering performances strong enough to position themselves among the recognised league title chasers.
Chiefs have a lopsided squad that isn't gelling in the final third as 2025/26 approaches the halfway mark. Several players will be considering their futures during the upcoming January transfer window.
In the last couple of months, 'Nyoso' has been trending after being overlooked by the South Africa technical bench despite his rich form in North Africa, where he is delivering for the Red Castle domestically and abroad. According to the 73-year-old Belgian coach, the former Buccaneers' attacker has nothing to bring in the team.
When the Belgian announced his 23-man squad headed to Morocco for this year’s Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON], there were some surprises. The 73-year-old tactician left tongues wagging with some of his choices, leaving out some big names and experienced campaigners. Broos also included a couple of youngsters, some of whom will be in the senior national team setup for the very first time.
Amakhosi closed out 2025 on a frustrating note after failing to win their last four games, both domestically and on the continent. That slump saw them miss a golden chance to climb to second place on the PSL table, and they now head into the AFCON break sitting fourth. That means they return in 2026 with significant pressure to revive their form and stay in the league title race.
The former Morocco defender was captured in a moment of connection with his players after the Buccaneers beat Marumo Gallants 1-0 to win the Carling Knockout at Peter Mokaba Stadium last Sunday. The Soweto giants' coach sprinted on the pitch with his players in hot pursuit to shower him with champagne in celebration of their triumph and second major trophy of the season.
Kaizer Chiefs
