Malatsi says Chiefs should not have let Cele join Sundowns

Former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Thabiso “Skapie” Malatsi believes the club made a serious error by allowing Thabo Cele to leave, arguing that the midfielder could have helped address their current struggles.

Kaizer Chiefs remain unbeaten in the league but have found it difficult to convert draws into victories. Their latest setback came in the CAF Confederation Cup, where they were beaten by Red Arrows in Zambia.

Cele has since moved to Mamelodi Sundowns and has already won the MTN8, strengthening the debate over whether Chiefs should have retained him.

Malatsi, who came through the club and remains closely associated with it, said Cele had the ability and experience to make a greater impact at Naturena if he had been given more opportunities.

“Even today, I still ask myself why Kaizer Chiefs allowed a player of Thabo Cele’s quality to leave,” Malatsi said.

“His arrival made a difference at Chiefs, and I believe he could have contributed even more to the team’s improvement had he stayed and been given more opportunities to play.”

The former midfielder compared Cele’s qualities with those of two respected figures from Chiefs’ past, Thabo ‘Tsiki-Tsiki’ Mooki and Frank Makua.

“He is a player whose quality would have reminded us of club legends like Thabo ‘Tsiki-Tsiki’ Mooki and Frank Makua,” he said.

“I know what I am talking about because the players I have mentioned were my seniors when I joined the Chiefs senior team.”

Malatsi acknowledged that he did not know the precise circumstances behind Cele’s departure, but said the club’s recent results had made the decision particularly difficult to understand.

“I don’t know exactly what led to Thabo Cele leaving Chiefs, but what I do know is that the team is struggling to get the desired results at the moment,” he said.

“As a former player who grew up at the club and still associates with it, it hurts and disappoints me to see things not going the way they should.”

He believes Cele’s presence could have prevented Chiefs from reaching their current position.

“Had Chiefs kept Thabo Cele, I believe the team would not be in the situation it finds itself in now, struggling to get results,” Malatsi added.

“What a quality player! I would like to believe that Chiefs made a blunder by allowing such a player to leave.”

Malatsi said few members of the current squad matched Cele’s combination of quality and experience. He identified only Langelihle Phiri and Lebohang Maboe as players currently performing at the standard expected of a club of Chiefs’ stature.

“With all due respect to everyone in the current Chiefs squad, and without judging anyone, I don’t see many players who match Thabo Cele’s quality and experience,” he said.

“The only two players I would single out as performing at the level required at a big club like Chiefs are (Langelihle) Phili and (Lebohang) Maboe.”