IT SEEMS
the greatest amount of time to waste in the South African football circles is
to tell Kaizer Chiefs what to do and what not to do. However, they carry the tag
(I’m surprised they still do) as the most famous and the behemoth of South
African football even though their record in recent years has been a far cry
from the Chiefs we know. As such, I would like to believe that their open
transfer policy put into question their ambitions as it were. Big teams don’t
easily entertain thoughts of selling players, especially at this junture.
The star
players even. It is well documented that this juggernaut is a BUSINESS - a
family BUSINESS at that. But I’m afraid making money is not only about selling
at every opportunity. It is quite ironic that last season when the transfer
speculation was on Arsenal loosing their most prized assets, Cesc Fabregas and
Samir Nasri, Arsene Wenger intimated that if they do lose them then Arsenal
cannot be considered a “big club.”
The stature
of Arsenal FC cannot be compared with that of Kaizer Chiefs FC but the football
confides and practices applies the same all over the world. Wenger fought
relentlessly to hold onto Nasri even though it could have cost the club upwards
of £20m in lost transfer fees and pledged to “fight until the last second” to
keep Fabregas despite admitting his captain was “torn” over his desire to
rejoin Barcelona
This only
shows how the manager valued keeping his best players at the club. Of course,
Amakhosi are in the lower echelon in respect of pay structures vis-a-vis the
clubs in Europe , but it should be a “non-
starter” to even negotiate a trial stint with probably the best players at the
club. It must take a ridiculous offer to ventilate letting go of full
Internationals of the calibre of Itumeleng Khune and Siphiwe Shabba. This
practice has profound ramifications to the brand. Alas, unlike Nasri and
Fabregas, Khune and Shabba are not unhappy at Chiefs. We all know that the
premature hastily arranged sale of Knowledge Musona has left the club thin in
the striking armoury.
The french
gaffer at the time said that he would rather have Nasri for one more season and
lose him as a Bosman free agent than sell him now. Low standards? “Kaizer
Chiefs has responded positively to the invite and will release both players as
requested.” Read the statement at their official website. Bunkum! It appears
they are desperate for a windfall of a transfer fee.
As if divinely
ordained, Arsenal are famous for their frugal policy and so is Chiefs. But
keeping your best players cannot be measured by money, alone.
And
Vladimir Vermezovic is acutely aware of this, “It is important that we try and
keep players and we want to keep the likes of Shabba and Khune. These are
players, they play for Bafana Bafana and it is important that we re-sign them.”
Said the Brazen Serbian to the club’s website and magazine. Unfortunately, the
coach’s wish does not tally with the club’s wishes as was the case with Arsene
Wenger.
The
significance of Cesc and Nasri couldn’t have been more emphasised. “Samir’s
situation is clear for me, Wenger said. “He stays. We are in a [financial]
position where we can say ‘No’ and we will, in the case of Samir.” It could be
the greatest wish of a Chiefs fan to hear these words uttered by Bobby Motaung,
“You are
the same people who reproach me for not spending money and now you reproach me
for wanting to spend it,” he added with a smile. “It is in the interest of the
club. Fabregas is in no-man’s land… Imagine the worst situation, that we lose
Fabregas and Nasri; you cannot convince people that you are ambitious after
that.”
To the
uninitiated, Arsenal subsequently lost both Cesc and Samir. And they have not
been the same since. Their highlight was being pulverised 8-3 by Manchester United.
Indeed, most probable, quite certain, if Chiefs were to lose Simphiwe
Tshabalala and Itumeleng Khune concurrently they cannot convince people that
they are ambitious after that.
By Thato Bosoga
Main story: http://goo.gl/UDLPl
Follow Thato
on Twitter:
@Adv_blair
