Keeper Ngobeni to leave Kaizer Chiefs

Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Thela Ngobeni has decided to leave the South African club at the end of the season.

Ngobeni has been part of the Chiefs’ first team for the past five seasons, including the 2011-12 Premier Soccer League campaign, but he is no longer content at either warming the substitute’s bench or sitting on the stands, which has led to his decision to cut his losses and move on at the end of this season.

“I represent Thela Ngobeni and we have decided that we will look elsewhere at the end of the season,” agent Walter Mokoena confirmed to Kickoff.com.

“We feel that it is better we take him somewhere and that means he won’t continue with Kaizer Chiefs as of the end of the season. We have agreed with the club that he won’t stay anymore and we will rather look at other options.”

Mokoena said he is already on the lookout for a club that could offer the 22-year-old goalkeeper an opportunity to play.

“I have already spoken to a few clubs who are keen so we will see. The boy would have loved to continue at Chiefs, he loves the team, but he wants to play which is important for him to grow,” he said.

“So we will rather move the young man elsewhere to get an opportunity to get to play. If you look at SuperSport United, their goalkeeper (Ronwen Williams) is 19 and it shows that giving a young goalkeeper a chance may not be a bad idea at all. Thela is a very good goalkeeper; otherwise he could never have been promoted to the first team.”

“This guy has got good training over the last three years from Rainer Dinkelacker, and competing with the number one keeper (Itumeleng Khune) in the country, so we are considering some options to try to get him to a club where he can get some regular action.”

All four of Kaizer Chiefs’ goalkeepers – Ngobeni, Khune, Kabelo Metsimetsi and Arthur Bartman – have just over six months remaining on their respective contracts.