Kaizer Chiefs star with one goal in 43 games leaving?

Kaizer Chiefs have a few players with running contracts on June 30. Leaving the deals unchanged until April suggests a departure is highly possible. One of the players is Njabulo Ngcobo.

NJABULO NGCOBO TO LEAVE KAIZER CHIEFS?

Wow, time is in a big rush. It has been almost three years since Ngcobo joined Amakhosi from Moroka Swallows as the DStv Premiership Defender of the Season. The 29-year-old was tipped to become the next Eric Mathoho, the next Tefu Mashamaite or Morgan Gould as an evergreen Kaizer Chiefs central defender for the next decade. Unfortunately, things don’t always work out in football.

The ball-playing defender from Folweni, KwaZulu Natal, has made 43 appearances, including a goal. This is not what you call regular playing time over three seasons. Additionally, Ngcobo’s deal with Kaizer Chiefs is ending on June 30. His agent has further confirmed that Ngcobo is talking to his former club, AmaZulu, among other PSL clubs.

“Kaizer Chiefs is a professional club, they communicate about their intentions. Unfortunately, they have not said anything about Njabulo Ngcobo,” the agent, Sboniso Ngubane told SABC Sport. “We are in talks with different clubs in the DStv Premiership, including AmaZulu FC,” he confirmed.

Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if Amakhosi will suddenly table an offer for Ngcobo or June will be the end of the road.

Ngcobo’s Professional Career So Far

• AmaZulu – One appearances and zero goals
• Uthongathi – Two Nedbank Cup appearances and one goal (Motsepe Foundation Championship statistics are not available)
• Richards Bay – Three Nedbank Cup appearances and one goal (Motsepe Foundation Championship statistics are not available)
• Moroka Swallows – 29 appearances and one goal
• Kaizer Chiefs – 43 appearances and one goal.

Njabulo Ngcobo during his first season with Kaizer Chiefs. Image: BackpagePix.

AMAKHOSI RETIRE LUKE FLEURS’ JERSEY NUMBER

The Glamour Boys paid their last respects to the late player Luke Fleurs on Thursday in Johannesburg. The club also announced retiring the player’s jersey number.

The 24-year-old central defender was shot and killed during a hijacking in Florida, Gauteng, on Wednesday, 3 April. The club held his memorial service on Thursday where the Kaizer Chiefs Sporting Director, Kaizer Motaung Jr, announced Amakhosi‘s jersey 26 has been retired.

“To honour Luke’s life and legacy, the club has decided to retire jersey number 26. No other player will ever wear the jersey number again,” Motaung said at the event.

LIST OF RETIRED JERSEY NUMBERS AT KAIZER CHIEFS:

• Number 20 – Howard Freese
• Number 15 – Doctor Khumalo
• Number 26 – Luke Fleurs.