Kaizer Motaung Jr explains Manyana signing from CT City

Kaizer Chiefs sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jr says the acquisition of midfield prospect Xhosa Manyana is a strategic move to “augment” the club’s youth ranks as they enter the business end of the season.

The 20-year-old youth international joins Amakhosi on a six-month loan from Cape Town City, becoming the club’s first signing of the January transfer window. The deal was confirmed on Tuesday evening, just moments before the senior team’s 1-0 victory over Golden Arrows at FNB Stadium.

Motaung Jr: ‘Augmenting for the Latter Part of the Season’

Welcoming the versatile midfielder to Naturena, Motaung Jr emphasized the importance of squad depth in the hunt for silverware.

“We felt the need to augment our DDC squad for the latter part of the season, and we are delighted to bring in a player like Xhosa to supplement the talent we already have within our reserve team structure,” Motaung Jr stated. “We welcome Xhosa to Kaizer Chiefs and look forward to seeing the best of his undoubted abilities.”

Solving the “Ox” Dilemma?

While Manyana is officially registered with the youth academy to aid in their DStv Diski Challenge (DDC) title defence, his arrival comes at a time of growing concern for the senior team’s engine room.

Amakhosi’s primary defensive anchor, Sibongiseni ‘Ox’ Mthethwa, is reportedly facing another spell on the sidelines after suffering a fresh injury setback during the 2025 AFCON break. With Mthethwa unavailable, the senior technical team has had to shuffle their options, even promoting DDC captain Thulani ‘Touch’ Mabaso to the bench for the Arrows clash. Manyana’s arrival provides an immediate high-quality alternative should the senior side require further reinforcement.

Manyana arrives at the Village with a glittering youth CV. A standout for the South African U-20 side (Amajita), he was a pivotal figure in their 2024 COSAFA Cup triumph, which paved the way for their subsequent 2025 U-20 AFCON title win.

His experience isn’t limited to local shores; the former Cape Town City mainstay spent the early part of 2025 on loan in the United States with FC Cincinnati 2 in the MLS Next Pro.

Manyana’s move marks a rare piece of January business for Chiefs. While co-coach Cedric Kaze recently expressed satisfaction with the club’s initial 12 signings, the opportunity to snap up a player of Manyana’s “undoubted abilities” proved too good to pass up.

He will now join a rampant Chiefs DDC side that has won five consecutive matches and currently sits fifth on the log as they look to hunt down runaway leaders Orlando Pirates.