Kaizer Chiefs have announced the signing of Ranga Chivaviro from Marumo Gallants ahead of the 2023/24 season.
Amakhosi started last season without a recoginised number nine and the signing of Bonfils Caleb Bimenyimana – who finished as top scorer with seven league goals, has already been informed to look for a new club as he is not part of their long-term plans.
Young Africans SC striker Fiston Mayele has long been on the radar, but with a fee in the region of R12-million needed to prize him away from the Tanzanians, one of the surprise packages of last season was next in line — Chivaviro.
The 30-year-old netted 17 goals across all competitions, which included seven in the CAF Confederation Cup as Marumo Gallants reached the last-four stage of the competition.
However, their relegation mean that a mass exodus of their key players was inevitable, with Chivaviro amongst the hottest properties of the squad.
Yanga, Sekhukhune United, Golden Arrows, Azam FC, Al Akhdar and Richards Bay all submitted offers for the player in recent months before Chiefs late interest turned heads.
Chivaviro agreed personal terms with the club a week after the end of the season but the stumbling block was the transfer fee… despite the player’s contract with Gallants coming to an end in July.
This website understands that he penned a pre-contract with the Natal Richboyz and the two clubs needed to strike an agreement over a fee in order to complete his move to Naturena.
However, once it became clear that Gallants, in fact, owned the player, it delayed talk over the potential move.
While Yanga met the personal term demands of the player, the lure of Amakhosi was simply too good to refuse for the South African striker, who also had a late Orlando Pirates bid accepted by Gallants.
But he was insistent over the move to the club he supported growing up in a move in excess of R5-million as he put pen to paper on a two-year deal with an option to extend with the Soweto giants.
On Monday, he was unveiled as one of six new signings by the Glamour Boys.
Story by Lorenz Kohler (@Lorenz_KO).
