Chiefs’ Ighodaro pursuit hits snag, Nabi reveals

Kaizer Chiefs head coach Nasreddine Nabi has addressed the club’s pursuit of Mamelodi Sundowns striker Etiosa Ighodaro, stating that the signing has been held up by administrative issues.

The Soweto giants have been active in the current transfer window, preparing for the upcoming 2025/26 Betway Premiership season. This comes after a disappointing league performance last season, though the team did break their decade-long trophy drought by winning the 2025 Nedbank Cup against Orlando Pirates.

To build on that success, the Chiefs have been strengthening their squad. They’ve already signed players like Ethan Chislett, Siphesihle Ndlovu, and Flavio Silva, among others. The club is expected to bring in more new faces before the transfer window closes in September.

The Chiefs have been linked with Ighodaro, who is still contracted to Sundowns and spent last season on loan with AmaZulu FC, where he scored six goals in 27 matches.

At the Betway Premiership launch in Sandton, Nabi confirmed that the deal for the striker is currently stalled.

📸 𝐈𝐧 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬: The 2025/2026 #BetwayPrem launch event at The Galleria pic.twitter.com/ethj2ubkLk

— Official PSL (@OfficialPSL) August 5, 2025

“That player [Ighodaro] belongs to another team with administrative issues,” Nabi explained. “But he, or another striker that we have listed, will be welcomed.”

He added that the club is waiting for an update from its administration. “I saw the player you are asking about last season was playing for AmaZulu, and I believe he’s a good player, but he’s a player that doesn’t belong to our club, and we can’t say much about it.”