ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST – FEBRUARY 10: Fiston Kalala Mayele of Democratic Republic Of Congo during the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, 3rd Place Playoff match between South Africa and Democratic Republic Of Congo at Stade Felix Houphouet Boigny on February 10, 2024 in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. (Photo by Didier Lefa/Gallo Images)
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Siya sources had indicated that the reason for not signing Mayele is that he was supposedly ”too old”.
Now, Mayele has been the club’s number one target since coach Nasreddine Nabi was announced as Amakhosi’s mentor, according to insiders.
Despite letting him go at a time when he could have been a free agent, the insiders at the club have now indicated that they do not regret their decision to pursue the striker back then.
The sources stated how Chiefs scouts and coaches were different back then, and so, the new technical team has their own reasons for wanting to sign him now.
“There is no regret at all from the club. You know those are different eras of the team and they can’t judge the past and pin it on the present. There should have been reasons at that time which made the technical team or even the scouts feel he was not the right striker for the club. At that time,” the insider close to the club stated.
“Yes, maybe they were looking at a younger striker than him at that time and things could have changed now and the technical team now is looking at adding experience up front. There is nothing wrong with that,” the source added.
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A second source stated that it’s different when a player is offered to a club while the club is not actively looking at him at that point in time.
“What I understand is that the player was offered to Chiefs and not the other way around. And now it’s the coach who wants the player because he knows him very well. So, you see the difference? I don’t think there is anything wrong going for a player who you rejected at first. Look at Bradley (Cross). He went to the team for trials and he didn’t sign. Look at him now. It’s all about a different technical team wanting different kinds of players. So let’s see what will happen in January with him,” the second source told the Siya crew.
Soccer Laduma contacted Chiefs for comment, but there was no response at the time of preparing this story.
Chiefs’ U-turn on their previous decision regarding Mayele highlights the evolving strategies and preferences of different technical teams. With coach Nabi now at the helm, the focus may be shifting towards experienced players who can make an immediate impact to win trophies now, such as the signing of Gaston Sirino. Fans will be keen to see how this situation with Mayele unfolds in the upcoming transfer window.
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