Reported Kaizer Chiefs target Cele unveiled by Polish club, contract details revealed

Former South Africa youth international midfielder Thabo Cele is now officially a player of Polish top-flight league side RKS Radomiak after the club unveiled him.

The player has signed a two-year contract with an option to extend for a further year. 

Radomiak have stated that Cele has already started training with them.

“Twenty-four-year-old Thabo Cele has signed a contract with Radomiak Radom. The contract with the South African midfielder will run until the end of the 2022/2023 season with an option to extend it for one year,” Radomiak announced on their website.

“Thabo is a product of his native KZN Football Academy, but he quickly decided to pursue his career in Europe, and more specifically in Portugal. There he played for Real SC, Benfica B and for the last three seasons - CD Cova da Piedade. Overall, he has 90 Liga Portugal two appearances, with six goals and three assists. 

“The central midfielder represented his country at this year's Tokyo Summer Olympics. He played three group games for South Africa against Japan, France and Mexico. He was at a certain point with his national team. Let's add that Cele has been training with the first team of the Greens.”

After starting 21 games in 29 appearances in the Portuguese second-tier, Segunda Liga, for Cova Piedade last season and scoring three goals, Cele was touted to be closer to playing in the top-flight league.

He had played in the Segunda Liga for five straight seasons.

His move to Poland follows his recent admission that he was keen to join Kaizer Chiefs but the Soweto giants withdrew their interest in him.

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

“I’m a fan of Chiefs and even my family support 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”

It is now yet to be seen if his performances in Poland will help him make a return to Bafana Bafana whom he has previously featured for in the Cosafa Cup.