Kaizer Chiefs receive major boost in Asanele Velebhayi pursuit | OneFootball

Chiefs get greenlight to finalize Velebhayi transfer

Picture courtesy of Cape Town

Kaizer Chiefs have received a major boost in their pursuit of winger Asanele Velebhayi after the Premier Soccer League Dispute Resolution Chamber (DRC) delivered a ruling that declared the player as a free agent on Monday.

The Soweto giants have been courting the 22-year-old for some time now as they missed out on his signature at the beginning of last season. Spurs slapped a R12 million price tag for the player’s services, a fee Chiefs were not willing to pay.

As a result, Amakhosi swiftly acquired Velebhayi’s services on a free transfer, in the wake of Spurs’ recent relegation to the amateur ranks in the ABC Motsepe League, the third tier of South African football.

The Cape club suffered back-to-back relegations, having dropped to the Motsepe Foundation Championship last season after a dismal showing in the topflight a season before, where they lost their opening eight matches on the trot.

According to NSL rules, once a club loses its professional status, its players are no longer legally bound by any contract. However, Spurs argued against the rules and ordered Velebhayi, along with Luke Baartman and Liam Bern to report for training – an order the trio didn’t adhere to.

Baartman is expected to join Velebhayi at Chiefs, while Bern is understood to have signed with AmaZulu. While Velebhayi is now officially a free agent, Baartman and Bern await a verdict in their respective cases.

Spurs are expected to escalate the matter to the South African Football Association (SAFA), as they believe that they are entitled to a transfer fee. But at this stage, the club will likely get a development fee for the trio that was molded at Ikamva, Spurs’ academy.

Chiefs will now welcome Velebhayi to Naturena after receiving the final greenlight to complete the move in a document seen by FootAfrica. The Glamour Boys commenced their season with a 2-0 win over Stellenbosch FC in a Betway Premiership clash at Athlone Stadium on Sunday.