How Langelihle Phili’s fast Kaizer Chiefs start compares with recent big-name signings

Kaizer Chiefs forward Langelihle Phili scored his first goal for the club against Mamelodi Sundowns on only his second start, immediately raising hopes that he could become one of the club’s most effective recent recruits.

The youngster made an early impression at Naturena with a confident finish against Sundowns, offering encouragement to the Amakhosi faithful after a promising start to his Chiefs career.

His rapid arrival on the scoresheet invites comparisons with the club’s high-profile signings of the past five seasons. While some settled quickly, others needed time to adapt and not all were able to turn early promise into sustained impact.

Here is how Phili’s start compares with the recent arrivals at Chiefs.

Keagan Dolly

Signed from French club Montpellier during the 2021/22 season, Keagan Dolly arrived with considerable expectations and had to wait six matches before scoring his first goal for Chiefs.

The former Bafana Bafana winger eventually showed why the club had invested in him. Dolly finished that campaign with eight goals and five assists, producing a respectable contribution that went some way towards justifying the excitement surrounding his arrival.

His start was slower than Phili’s, but his overall output made the wait worthwhile.

Ashley du Preez

Ashley du Preez needed only two appearances to open his account for Chiefs in the 2022/23 season. He scored during a 3-0 victory over Maritzburg United, matching Phili’s number of starts before finding the net.

However, the match also brought an unfortunate setback. The former Stellenbosch FC player suffered an injury in the same game, disrupting the momentum created by his early goal.

Du Preez ended the campaign with nine goals and five assists. Those figures were solid, although the injury meant there was a sense that he might have achieved even more had his progress not been interrupted.

Ranga Chivaviro

Ranga Chivaviro endured a considerably slower beginning after joining Chiefs for the 2023/24 campaign. The striker required seven matches to score his first goal.

That delay proved to be an early indication of the difficulties ahead. Chivaviro managed only four goals in his debut season, a return that fell below expectations for a player signed to address Chiefs’ long-standing problems in front of goal.

Compared with Phili’s immediate impact, Chivaviro’s introduction was particularly challenging.

Fiston Mayele

Fiston Mayele scored in his second match after joining Chiefs in January 2025, giving him a start similar to Phili’s.

The Congolese striker then found the net in three consecutive games. He ended his half-season with six goals from 15 league appearances, a promising record that suggested he had begun to find his rhythm and could have offered even more with a longer run in the team.

Gaston Sirino

Former Mamelodi Sundowns player Gaston Sirino also scored in only his second match for Chiefs at the beginning of the 2024/25 campaign.

Despite that encouraging start, Sirino was unable to maintain the same level of influence. He finished with four goals and six assists, numbers that did not meet the high expectations attached to his move from Chloorkop.

Mateo Rossetti

Mateo Rossetti set the benchmark among Chiefs’ recent signings by scoring on his debut last season. His goal secured a 1-0 win over Golden Arrows.

The Portuguese forward went on to score 10 goals, becoming the first Chiefs player to reach double figures since Samir Nurkovic recorded 14 in the 2019/20 campaign.

That is now the standard Phili will hope to surpass. His goal in his second start places him alongside Du Preez, Mayele and Rossetti among Chiefs’ recent fast starters.

The bigger challenge will be maintaining that early momentum over a full campaign. In recent seasons, only Dolly and Rossetti have convincingly combined a strong start with consistent production across the season.