Kaizer Chiefs must recruit more established Bafana Bafana players if they are to seriously challenge Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates for major honours, according to club legend Tsepo Masilela.
The former Amakhosi and Bafana Bafana left-back says the gap to the country’s leading sides will not be closed by potential alone and has urged Chiefs to target proven international-quality signings.
Chiefs finished third in the league last season but had only one representative – defender Bradley Cross – in Hugo Broos’ squad for the recent FIFA World Cup, a statistic Masilela believes underlines the work still to be done at Naturena.
“There were talks about Yaya. He is someone that can come to the team and give the midfield a boost. Chiefs don’t have a bad midfield, but they need a number six that’s going to complement the other midfield players,” said the former Bafana Bafana defender.
Limited Bafana presence ‘shows the gap’
Masilela, who won the Africa Cup of Nations with Bafana Bafana in 1996 and enjoyed a successful spell at Chiefs, told Soccerbeat that the club’s lack of national team regulars was a concern for a side aiming to challenge Sundowns and Pirates.
Amakhosi’s traditional rivals supplied a far greater share of Broos’ World Cup group, underlining their current dominance of the local game.
For Masilela, that imbalance is both a symptom and a cause of Chiefs’ struggles to compete for the biggest prizes.
“Trying to close the gap, you have to sign quality players. They finished third, it’s not a bad position, so let’s try and improve. When you mention signings, it will be nice to see them signing Bafana stars,” Masilela added.
He believes that consistently having several Bafana Bafana-calibre performers in the starting XI is a hallmark of title-winning squads in South Africa.
Petersen and Shabalala tipped for national team
Despite his concerns, Masilela singled out two current Chiefs players he feels could grow into regulars for the national side – goalkeeper Brandon Petersen and attacking midfielder Mduduzi Shabalala.
He argued that Petersen, who has been in and out of the starting line-up in recent seasons, was unlucky to miss out on a place at the World Cup.
Shabalala, meanwhile, is seen as a player of significant promise who still needs to convert talent into sustained output.
“If Mdu plays well, he stands a chance. You look at the Bafana team which played in the World Cup, we didn’t really have a number 10. If Mdu can score more, he’ll make the squad. Sometimes it’s about the numbers,” Masilela said on Soccerbeat.
Masilela suggested that if Shabalala can add goals and assists on a regular basis, he could fill a creative void that has been evident at international level.
‘Yaya’ Sithole held up as transfer template
Looking ahead to the 2026/27 campaign, Chiefs have already moved to refresh their squad, but Masilela believes the next phase of recruitment must focus on players who are already established with Bafana Bafana.
He pointed to defensive midfielder Sphephelo “Yaya” Sithole – a full international who has built his reputation in Europe – as the type of signing that could immediately elevate Chiefs’ midfield.
“There were talks about Yaya. He is someone that can come to the team and give the midfield a boost,” Masilela said.
The 39-year-old stressed that while the current midfield unit is not weak, it lacks a dominant holding player able to give balance and allow more creative teammates to flourish.
“Chiefs don’t have a bad midfield, but they need a number six that’s going to complement the other midfield players,” he added.
Call for proven quality as trophies target
Kaizer Chiefs are seeking to end a prolonged trophy drought in the face of Sundowns’ sustained dominance and Pirates’ recent resurgence.
Masilela, who experienced periods of success with Amakhosi, believes the club must now prioritise securing players who can influence both domestic competitions and the national team if they are to restore their status among South Africa’s elite.
With the 2026/27 season on the horizon, he argues that combining current prospects like Petersen and Shabalala with incoming Bafana Bafana stalwarts could be the decisive step towards making Chiefs genuine title contenders once more.
