Latest news with #Chiefs
The Citizen
2 hours ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Tanzanian club submits loan offer for Chiefs goalkeeper
TS Galaxy are also said to be interested in a loan move for him. Tanzanian giants Young Africans (Yanga) SC have reportedly enquired into the availability of Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Facre Ntwari and have submitted a loan offer. Ntwari, who joined Amakhosi from TS Galaxy at the beginning of the 2024/25 season, faces an uncertain future at Chiefs following his unconvincing start to his Amakhosi career last season. ALSO READ: Maart bids emotional farewell to Chiefs after move to Austria The Rwandan goalkeeper made just seven appearances for Chiefs in all competitions last season and conceded 11 goals. Word is that Chiefs are looking to sign a striker from outside the country and want to either loan or sell Ntwari to free up space for a foreign spot. Now reports coming out of Rwanda are that Yanga are keen to sign Ntwari on loan. 'Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Fiacre Ntwari could end up on loan at Tanzanian champions Yanga SC before the end of the current transfer window,' read a report from The New Times. ALSO READ: 'Talent alone is not enough' – Miguel's advice to Chiefs youngsters 'Times Sport can confirm that Tanzanian giants Yanga SC enquired about Ntwari services and they have already submitted a loan bid for the Rwanda shot stopper.' Ntwari's former team Galaxy are also said to be interested in a loan move for him, while an outright sale to a French Ligue 2 club is also on the cards.
Forbes
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Forbes
After Re-Signing Trey Smith, Chiefs Have Locked Up 2021 Draft Class
Chiefs guard Trey Smith is on the field against the Las Vegas Raiders on Nov. 29, 2024 at GEHA ... More Field. (Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) The Kansas City Chiefs re-signed right Trey Smith, rewarding him with a massive deal. The four-year, $94 million contract includes $70 million guaranteed and makes him the highest-paid guard in NFL history. It's the highest average annual salary and the most guaranteed money ever for an NFL guard. Philadelphia Eagles guard Landon Dickerson ranks second with an average annual value of $21 million, and Carolina Panthers guard Robert Hunt ranks second in guaranteed money with $63 million. Smith's new deal is not only record-breaking, but also part of a calculated strategy by the Chiefs to keep homegrown talent. General manager Brett Veach snared Smith, a future Pro Bowler, in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. That proved to be an exceptional draft for the Chiefs. Three players from that draft class have started more than 50 games, and the Chiefs have locked up all three stalwarts —Smith and second-round picks Creed Humphrey (63rd overall) and linebacker Nick Bolton (58th overall) from that draft. 'That's the trick: How you do keep them?' Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. 'Brett's, he's the magician in that. I'm just a spectator there. They've played so well for us. You got to see what you can do with the contracts as they come up.' In August of 2024, the Chiefs signed Humphrey to a four-year, $72 million extension, including $50 million guaranteed. 'He's a heck of a football player, real good football player,' Reid said. 'He started off that way, and he kept it going.' Then in March of 2025, they extended Bolton with a three-year, $45 million deal, including $30 million fully guaranteed at signing. 'I've been there for seven years. It feels like home,' Bolton said. '(They) welcomed me with open arms as a little 18-year-old with short hair, no facial hair.' The Chiefs also kept Noah Gray, the other valuable contributor from that 2021 class who could eventually supplant future Hall of Famer Travis Kelce as the team's No. 1 tight end. In September of 2024, the Chiefs extended Gray, the fifth round (162nd overall) pick in 2021, with a three-year, $18 million contract. Choosing Trey Smith over Joe Thuney Since getting drafted in the sixth round (221st overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft, Smith has been the starter at right guard. The Opening Day starter in 2021, who went to become a 2024 Pro Bowler, has started an impressive 67 games, missing only one in his four-year career. The Chiefs value Smith so much that they prioritized him over left guard Joe Thuney, last year's team MVP. While they placed the tag on Smith, they traded Thuney to the Chicago Bears for a 2026 fourth-round choice. With right tackle Jawaan Taylor on an $80 million deal and Humphrey already the highest-paid center in the NFL, signing both Thuney and Smith would have meant dedicating an enormous portion of the financial pie to the offensive line. And the youth of Smith who is 26 — while Thuney will turn 33 and only had one year left on the five-year, $80 million contract he signed in 2021 — made him the more pragmatic choice to retain. A Deadline Deal The Chiefs had put the non-exclusive franchise tag on Smith in February, entitling him to contract worth $23.4 million for the upcoming season. But the deadline to extend him to a long-term deal was Tuesday, July 15 at 3 p.m. CST, and Smith would've been the only NFL player under the franchise tag in 2025. The deal was announced on Tuesday just hours before that deadline. The down-to-the-wire timing might have made Chiefs fans nervous because a one-year, $23.4 million is not ideal; it could've upset Smith and given the Chiefs less financial flexibility in 2025. But Veach was confident throughout that a deal would be completed. Before the 2025 NFL Draft, he said that he and Smith's agents — Tory Dandy and Jimmy Sexton of Creative Arts Agency — had extensive conversations at the NFL Combine and owners' meetings. 'Hopefully we get that done. There's no lack of interest or will or desire on our end,' Veach said. 'I'm sure once things settle down on both ends we'll be in a position to continue this dialogue and hopefully make some progress there. There's no secret there that we'd like to get Trey locked up.'
IOL News
3 hours ago
- Sport
- IOL News
'Emphatic' or just enough? Either way Kaizer Chiefs win in Europe could lead the way in SA
Naledi Hlongwane scored the winning goal in Kaizer Chiefs' 1-0 pre-season victory over PEC Zwolle — their first win in The Netherlands after three straight defeats. Photo: Backpagepix Image: Backpagepix The Kaizer Chiefs media department may have gone a little overboard in their description of Amakhosi's 1-0 victory over PEC Zwolle on Tuesday night. 'Emphatic win for Chiefs in Holland,' read the headline on the club's match report. Well, perhaps that's what happens when you snap a three-match losing streak — any win feels euphoric. But while the victory, courtesy of a second-half goal by substitute Naledi Hlongwane, was deserved, it was anything but emphatic. Yes, Chiefs showed marked improvement from their previous outings. They were confident in possession, moved the ball forward with purpose, and varied their attacking play — mixing long-range shots with attempts to penetrate through Zwolle's defence. Tuesday's result offered much-needed relief for a team struggling for form. Before that match, Amakhosi had lost all three of their earlier encounters on the Dutch pre-season tour — a 4-0 drubbing by FC Utrecht, a narrow 1-0 loss to NEC Nijmegen, and a 2-1 defeat to SBV Vitesse. Their final match of the five-game tour took place on Wednesday night against FC Twente. The win over Zwolle came like rain in the desert for a side in desperate need of momentum as they prepare for the 2025/26 season. Chiefs have made several new signings in a bid to arrest their decline after two consecutive seasons without a top-eight finish. The decisive goal came after Zwolle's goalkeeper failed to hold on to a shot from Mduduzi Shabalala. Hlongwane — who had come on for the injured Flavio Silva — was quickest to react, pouncing on the loose ball and burying it. His celebration was one of pure joy, shared with team-mates. It was a goal straight out of the Kaizer Chiefs Academy — both Shabalala and Hlongwane having risen through the ranks together since under-15 level. 'We have a great understanding, as we basically grew up together,' Hlongwane said. 'I know exactly what run to make, depending on the situation, and 'Shabba' knows what I will do. 'This time he decided to shoot. As a striker, you might only get one chance during a match — and that's when you have to be ready. "So, I ran towards the goalkeeper, hoping for a rebound. And that's exactly what happened. Scoring the goal was a fantastic feeling!' Head coach Nasreddine Nabi continued to rotate his squad throughout the match, finishing with Aiden McCarthy as the only player to have completed the full 90 minutes. The Tunisian tactician has used the tour to assess different players and build combinations as part of a longer-term process. That process is what Angolan defender and new captain Miguel Inacio believes will lay the foundation for a successful season — one that includes league play, domestic cups and participation in the CAF Confederation Cup. 'The victory was great. However, in pre-season, the process comes first — it's not so much about winning,' Inacio said. 'In that process, you build the Kaizer Chiefs idea. We've seen our performances improve with each match. "Right now, we're laying the foundation that's needed to do well when the season begins. Pre-season is about incorporating the coach's ideas, integrating new players, and establishing tactical understanding. "Last season, we didn't get that combination right, even though the process was sound. This time, all those elements came together, and that's what made for a great performance — and yes, even an emphatic win.'
The South African
3 hours ago
- Sport
- The South African
Kaizer Chiefs quoted R15m to bring Bafana Bafana star home!
Kaizer Chiefs have bolstered their squad with six signings but are still hungry to sign more players for the season. Chiefs finished in 10th place last season, making it two seasons in a row outside the top eight. That has seen Chiefs miss out on the MTN8 competition once again, meaning they will compete for one less trophy. In order to ensure that this doesn't happen again, they have hit the transfer market. Their business has seen them seal six deals that they hope will drag them closer to the top of the table again. Chiefs have confirmed the signings of Nkanyiso Shinga, Flavio Silva, Ethan Chislett, Paseka Mako, Thabiso Monyane and Siphesihle Ndlovu. They have also reportedly signed two Cape Town Spurs young duo of Asanele Velebayi and Luke Baartman pending legal issues. Those two players are expected to boost the wide channels at Amakhosi should their respective double deal go through. But before they could look at the promising duo of Velebayi and Baartman, Chiefs had their eye elsewhere. They were and still are thought to be interested in signing a more experienced and international winger in Mihlali Mayambela. The Bafana Bafana international has reportedly made it no secret that he wants to return home, only to be a Glamour Boy. Now according to Soccer-Laduma , his Cypriot club Aris Limassol have quoted Amakhosi R15 million for his services! 'I can tell you now that no team can refuse to pay R5 million for a player of Mihlali's (Mayambela) calibre. Have you seen the players the team has signed so far this season? And the amount they have paid? It's around that R5 million for some of them and how could they fail to pay the same amount for an international Bafana Bafana player? So, Aris Limassol demanded around R15 million with one year left on the player's contract. This is why the club felt that was too much hence it's believed they put it on hold for now,' said the source. Chiefs fans, would that fee be fair for a Bafana Bafana international in Mayambela? Let us know by clicking on the comment tab. Or by emailing info@ or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. You can also follow @TheSAnews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest news.
The Citizen
3 hours ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Miguel's advice to Chiefs youngsters
'They need to continue working hard to continuously improve their game,' said the Chiefs captain. Inacio Miguel has been captain of Kaizer Chiefs on their pre-season tour of the Netherlands. Picture: Backpagepix Kaizer Chiefs central defender Inacio Miguel has warned Amakhosi's crop of talented young players that only hard work will ultimately see them succeed. ALSO READ: Hlongwane hails 'fantastic feeling' after scoring for Chiefs Miguel is in the Netherlands with Chiefs for their pre-season camp, and captained the side in their 1-0 friendly win over PEC Zwolle on Tuesday. Chiefs finally win It was Chiefs' first win of their pre-season tour, with 19 year-old striker Naledi Hlongwane getting the winning goal. Defender Aden McCarthy, left back Kabelo Nkgwesa, and attacking midfielder Thulani Mabaso were other youngsters to feature in the game against Zwolle. 'Naledi has the quality to get far in the game of football. But this is just a start. Scoring has to be a habit of a striker,' Miguel told the Chiefs official website. 'We have a lot of very talented youngsters: Hlongwane, Mabaso, Nkgwesa, McCarthy… However, talent alone is not enough. They need to continue working hard to continuously improve their game. 'Making a mistake is not a problem. But you have to learn from it, to not make that mistake again. Otherwise, it will become a problem. Soccer is all about learning, day in, day out.' While he was pleased with the victory over Zwolle, Miguel pointed out that results are not that important in pre-season. 'The victory was great. However, in pre-season the process comes first, it's not so much about winning. In that process you build the Kaizer Chiefs idea. 'We have seen how our performances improved with each match we played. Meanwhile, we are looking for the foundation, which is needed to do well and be ready when the season starts – for the league, the cup competitions and the CAF Confederation Cup. 'Incorporating the ideas of the coach' 'Pre-season is all about incorporating the ideas of the coach, the new players and then, of course, there are the tactical aspects. Last season, we struggled to get that combination right, even though the process was right. ALSO READ: Why was Rayners snubbed for top PSL Awards? 'Today, all these elements came to fruition, hence the great performance and the emphatic win!' Chiefs will play the final match of their pre-season tour of the Netherlands on Wednesday when they take on FC Twente. Kick off is 7pm SA time.
