Three players poised to join Kaizer Chiefs, more arrivals expected

Ethan Chislett. Photo credit: Port Vale FC

Kaizer Chiefs are gearing up for a busy 2025/26 season with a squad overhaul already underway.

The Soweto giants have begun their pre-season by releasing several players and are now poised to welcome three new faces: Ethan Chislett, Flavio Silva, and Nkanyiso Shinga.

Chiefs have already confirmed the departures of five players: Sabelo Radebe, Edmilson Dove, Mduduzi Mdantsane, Ranga Chivaviro, and Njabulo Blom, who has returned to his parent club, St Louis City SC, in the MLS. Further departures are anticipated as the club reshapes its roster.

Ethan Chislett, the highly anticipated midfielder, landed in South Africa on Thursday morning to finalise his move to Kaizer Chiefs, as revealed by FARPost. He was promptly taken to the Kaizer Chiefs Village, where he completed his medical examinations.

Chislett has reportedly signed a two-year contract with an option for an additional year. The 26-year-old has an impressive track record, having chosen not to renew his contract with English League Two side Port Vale FC, where his consistent performances were crucial in their promotion to League One last season.

The second expected signing is Flavio Silva, a Portuguese striker of Guinean-Bissau heritage and a product of the Sporting CP youth academy.

Silva is set to join Amakhosi from Indonesian Premier League club Persebaya Surabaya. The 1.85m-tall striker made a remarkable debut in Southeast Asia in January 2023, scoring five goals in a single match for Persik Kediri. His prolific scoring continued, boasting an impressive record of 39 goals in 78 Liga 1 appearances, with a standout 23 goals in just 29 matches last season.

Meanwhile, Amakhosi are also on the verge of securing a Europe-based defender, Nkanyiso Shinga, having reached an agreement with Portuguese side FC Alverca for his transfer.

The former KZN Academy graduate played a significant role for FC Alverca last season, helping his team achieve promotion to the Portuguese top division with a 2-1 victory over Portimonense, securing second place in the league.

If all goes as planned, these three new additions are expected to join Amakhosi for their European pre-season camp in the Netherlands, scheduled from July 4 to July 19.

The Glamour Boys, who returned from their off-season break last Friday, will play five friendly matches against Dutch top-tier sides from both the Eredivisie and Eerste Divisie, such as SBV Vitesse Arnhem, FC Utrecht, NEC Nijmegen, PEC Zwolle, and FC Twente.

Under Nasreddine Nabi's guidance, Amakhosi are set for a return to continental football in the CAF Confederation Cup. While the 2024/25 season ended their 10-year trophy drought, they finished outside the top eight. The team is now eager to improve upon that performance as they also look to sign quality players.