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I wanted Makaringe and Ndlovu at Chiefs but Pirates won the race – Middendorp

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Kaizer Chiefs head coach Ernst Middendorp has painted a sad picture after seeing his main targets in this transfer window, Fortune Makaringe and Siphesihle Ndlovu, joining their arch-rivals Orlando Pirates.

Middendorp was speaking at an Absa Premiership event in Johannesburg on Monday, organised as part of the build-up to the opening weekend of the new season.

Chiefs have only made four signings so far and all those players are from outside South Africa but it doesn’t mean that the club wasn’t interested in locally-based talent.

Middendorp worked with Makaringe and Ndlovu at Maritzburg United and was eager to reunite with them at Chiefs but Pirates had other ideas.

Makaringe was part of the Pirates team this past weekend which swept Chiefs aside beating them 2-0 in the Carling Black Label Cup final.

He’s already shown what he can offer at this level in the past few years since joining the Team of Choice from Moroka Swallows. Chiefs veteran attacker Bernard Parker is challenging Makaringe to maintain the same form from United and take it to Pirates.

How is Chiefs going to work around its registration of foreign players remains a mystery?

After signing three foreign players in this window and losing Teenage Hadebe to a Turkish team, they are now left with six players.

Speculation has been rife from last week that Madagascar international midfielder Andriamirado “Dax” Andriarimanana could be loaned out to open the space especially after his jersey number (six) was given to newly signed midfielder Kearyn Baccus. But Middendorp has got an interesting take on this.

For a team that finished outside the top eight and has not won some silverware for the past four seasons, it’s important for Chiefs to get off to a good start in the new season.

But they already have their work cut out for them as they are off to Makhulong stadium to play Highlands Park FC in their opening league game on Sunday.  – Report by Velile Mnyandu

 

 

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