Kaizer Chiefs have parted company with seven players ahead of the new season, with five of them staying in South Africa to join rival clubs in the Betway Premiership.
The Soweto club, one of the country’s most successful and widely followed sides, has overseen a sweeping clear-out affecting both the senior team and its development structures, in a move that will see several former Amakhosi faces lining up against them in 2026/27.
Aden McCarthy, George Matlou, Happy Mashiane, Fiacre Ntwari, Tashreeq Morris, Gaston Sirino and Siyabonga Gumede have all exited Naturena in the off‐season.
While defender McCarthy has completed a move abroad to Azerbaijani champions Sabah FC, most of his former team-mates have remained in the domestic top flight and could confront their former employers in the coming campaign.
Five Amakhosi alumni remain in South Africa
Of the seven departures, five have joined Betway Premiership clubs.
Forward Tashreeq Morris and attacking midfielder Gaston Sirino have both signed for Durban City, where they will work under new head coach Khalil Ben Youssef.
Midfielder George Matlou has linked up with Stellenbosch FC, goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari has joined Kruger United, and young defender Siyabonga Gumede has moved to Richards Bay.
Happy Mashiane is currently a free agent and has yet to secure a new club.
The wave of exits underlines the scale of Kaizer Chiefs’ rebuild, but also means the Glamour Boys face the prospect of encountering a number of familiar faces across the league.
Youssef swiftly returns to dugout at Durban City
Khalil Ben Youssef has been appointed head coach of Durban City soon after his departure from Kaizer Chiefs.
After leaving Amakhosi, he wasted little time in finding a new role in KwaZulu‐Natal, and immediately began reshaping his squad by targeting players he already knows well.
Initially, he reunited with former Kaizer Chiefs striker Tashreeq Morris. Thereafter, Durban City completed the signing of experienced midfielder Gaston Sirino.
As a result, Youssef has now brought two former Amakhosi players to Durban ahead of the new season, signalling an intention to lean on their top‐flight experience as he prepares for his first campaign in charge.
Durban clubs turn to Kaizer Chiefs graduates
Durban-based sides are continuing a growing trend of recruiting from Kaizer Chiefs’ ranks.
Amakhosi DStv Diski Challenge graduate Siyabonga Gumede has reportedly signed for Betway Premiership side Richards Bay.
“A Kaizer Chiefs academy graduate has joined KwaZulu-Natal side Richards Bay ahead of the 2026/27 Betway Premiership campaign,” KickOff reported.
Gumede captained Kaizer Chiefs’ DDC side last season and was highly regarded within the club’s youth set‐up. Now, the young defender is set to begin the next chapter of his career in the Betway Premiership with Richards Bay.
He follows a string of promising Diski Challenge talents to leave Naturena, including Ntandoyenkosi Nkosi and Khulumani Ndamane, raising questions over whether Chiefs are failing to retain some of their most gifted academy products.
Former stars set to face Amakhosi
The concentration of ex-Chiefs players across the Betway Premiership sets up several intriguing storylines for the 2026/27 campaign.
If selected, Amakhosi could come up against Morris and Sirino at Durban City, Matlou at Stellenbosch FC, Ntwari at Kruger United and Gumede at Richards Bay over the course of the season.
With the Soweto giants under pressure to end a prolonged trophy drought, the performances of their former players in opposition colours are likely to be closely scrutinised by supporters and analysts alike, as the club embarks on a new chapter built on a substantially reshaped squad.
