Glody Lilepo set for Kaizer Chiefs exit as North African move crowns property boom

Congolese winger Glody Makabi Lilepo is close to completing a transfer away from Kaizer Chiefs, with a lucrative move to North Africa expected to cap a period in which he has significantly expanded his real estate investments back home.

The 29-year-old, who joined Chiefs at the start of last year, has decided to leave despite climbing into the upper earning bracket at the Soweto club following a series of pay rises over the past season.

AS FAR and Al Ahli Benghazi have both tabled offers in excess of the €500,000 (around R9.5m) that Chiefs paid French third-tier side Valenciennes to secure Lilepo’s services. Those proposals now need to be converted into a completed deal and funds received before the transfer can be finalised.

Rising salary, but decision to move on

Lilepo’s Chiefs salary has been adjusted upwards several times since his arrival. He received an increase at the beginning of last season, another uplift towards the end of the year and a further bump as he entered the final 12 months of his contract.

Those successive improvements pushed his gross earnings to a level that places him among the better-paid players at Naturena. Nonetheless, the financial package has not been enough to persuade him to extend his stay in South Africa, with a more attractive offer now on the table in North Africa.

The proposed deal in either Morocco or Libya is understood to be more favourable overall, helped by a more tax-friendly environment than in the Premier Soccer League. Both the Moroccan and Libyan transfer windows will remain open for at least another two months, giving all parties time to conclude negotiations.

Property portfolio triples in DR Congo

While at Chiefs, Lilepo has been widely praised in his circles for the way he has managed his income. Rather than relying solely on his football salary, he has used his earnings to build a growing property portfolio in DR Congo.

Sources close to the player say his real estate holdings have tripled in size since he arrived at Chiefs, with the value of those investments now believed to run into several million rand. The properties are said to provide a guaranteed base income, giving him a measure of financial security beyond his playing career.

This website has been shown details of that portfolio, which is considered an example of prudent planning in a profession where many players struggle financially once they stop playing. Lilepo is regarded as particularly disciplined when it comes to managing his money.

Next contract seen as life-defining

The contract he is expected to sign in North Africa, should the transfer proceed as anticipated, is viewed by those around him as potentially decisive for his long-term future beyond football. The next three years of earnings are being framed as a period that could shape the rest of his life, especially when added to the foundations he has already laid in property.

Despite the uncertainty over which of AS FAR or Al Ahli Benghazi will secure his signature, and with Kaizer Chiefs still waiting for the formal completion of the transfer, Lilepo’s off-field planning has already drawn commendation for its foresight.

Chiefs, meanwhile, must receive confirmation of the agreed transfer fee hitting their accounts before they can officially sanction his departure and close the book on a short but financially significant chapter for both club and player.