16/09/2026
THABO CELE: WAS THE DECISION REALLY ABOUT THE PLAYER, OR ABOUT THE PLAN? 🤔⚽
I know one thing for sure, no player is bigger than Kaizer Chiefs. The badge must always come first. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t ask questions when important decisions are made.
Thabo Cele is gone. Chiefs and the player parted ways by mutual agreement, and the new coach had already made it clear that Cele was not part of his plans. Now he has joined Mamelodi Sundowns.
But here is where I struggle...
If you release a midfielder who made 36 appearances for the club across domestic and CAF competitions and was part of the Nedbank Cup-winning team, what is the plan to replace what he brought to the squad?
Especially when the team is expected to compete on multiple fronts.
We have seen other players leave too. Castillo is gone. Puso Dithejane is gone. Players leave football clubs all the time, that is part of the game. But the bigger question is always: WHO REPLACES WHAT THEY BROUGHT?
You cannot build a stronger squad simply by releasing players. You have to replace the quality, the experience, the goals, the creativity, the depth and the different qualities those players gave you.
And this is where I want to hear from Chiefs supporters. 👀
Was Thabo Cele simply not part of the coach’s football plan, or should the club have found a way to keep him until a suitable replacement was secured?
No player is bigger than the badge. But squad planning matters too.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? 🤔⚽
