Cele: I was ready for Kaizer Chiefs and I waited for them

Radomiak midfielder Thabo Cele has revealed he had no plans to play Premier Soccer League football until Kaizer Chiefs approached him.

Cele says Chiefs opened discussions which made him ready to play for the Soweto giants.

But the 24-year-old who has never played in the PSL before went to Poland to resume his career which was previously marked by a six-season stint in Portugal.

“I wasn’t really thinking about coming back home until there was serious interest from Kaizer Chiefs, but the negotiations fell through,” said Cele as per Phakaaathi.

“I’m a fan of Chiefs and even my family supports Chiefs. So I was looking forward to it. I had an offer in Poland, there was interest from Portugal." 

"I waited for the move to Chiefs to happen but it didn’t happen. The club in Poland then came back with better communication. I’m not sure what happened with Chiefs. I was even watching their games. I was ready.

“Some people would have seen it as a step back coming back home. But Kaizer Chiefs is a big club and I viewed it as a great opportunity to play in South Africa and also use it as an opportunity to go back to Europe.”

With Cele being a central midfielder, he would have arrived at Naturena to find Cole Alexander, Phathutshedzo Nange and Anthony Akumu as his challengers in that position.

The South Africa youth international says there was never a financial deadlock in his discussions with Chiefs.

“Money was not the reason the deal to Chiefs fell through,” Cele said.

“Like I said, the negotiations were very smooth with Kaizer Chiefs, everything was going well. I really don’t know what happened.”

At 24, Cele was regarded as a long-term signing whose future at Chiefs would have lasted long.

His experience from playing in the Portuguese second-tier where he was a regular for Cova Piedade would have come in handy for the Soweto giants.