Mayambela confirms Kaizer Chiefs talks amidst Amakhosi’s squad overhaul

Bafana Bafana and Aris Limassol winger Mihlali Mayambela has confirmed that he has been in transfer discussions with Kaizer Chiefs, who are in the process of building a formidable squad for the upcoming season.

The Soweto giants are determined to turn their fortunes around under head coach Nasreddine Nabi. This comes after an inconsistent 2024/25 campaign saw them finish a disappointing ninth in the league with 32 points from 28 matches, missing out on a top-eight spot.

But Chiefs broke their decade-long trophy drought by seizing the 2025 Nedbank Cup. This triumph has ignited a new ambition within the club, as evidenced by their aggressive recruitment drive for the 2025/26 campaign.

They’ve already landed significant new talents, including Thabiso Monyane, Paseka Mako, Flavio Silva, Ethan Chislett, Nkanyiso Shinga, and Siphesihle Ndlovu. Fueling the transfer excitement even further, recent reports have strongly linked Cypriot-based Bafana Bafana winger Mihlali Mayambela of Aris Limassol FC with a potential switch to Naturena.

Breaking his silence on the transfer rumours, Mihlali Mayambela confirmed that talks did indeed take place between him and Kaizer Chiefs’ sporting director, Kaizer Motaung Jr.

“There was a conversation about joining Chiefs. The club is also moving in a different direction,” Mayambela revealed on SoccerBeat. “You can see with the signings they’ve made now, they’re busy trying to put out a strong team, but also I’m in a place where I don’t need to move if there is no need to move.”

He elaborated on his current club situation, stating, “I’m playing every game, I have a big role to play in my team, and I’m respected here, but there’s interest from Chiefs. There were talks between me and the sporting director.”

Mayambela acknowledged Motaung Jr’s vision for the club: “And he’s doing his job, you can see that he’s trying to build a squad that can compete and bring the glory days. So I don’t know when it will happen, will it happen? I can say yes more than I can say no. But I don’t know when because it doesn’t only depend on me.”