Cele Left Behind as Chiefs Tour Spain Amid Future Uncertainty

On the day Kaizer Chiefs boarded a plane for Spain and a fresh start under Fernando Da Cruz, one name was missing from the boarding list. And it was a big one.

Cele, who had been involved throughout Amakhosi’s preparations for the 2026/27 campaign, was a notable omission from the squad that flew out for the pre-season tour. The 28-year-old midfielder, expected to be part of the travelling group, is understood to have discovered his exclusion only shortly before the team’s departure.

For a player once billed as a marquee return to the Premier Soccer League, the timing is striking.

Cele joined Chiefs in January last year after spending the bulk of his professional career abroad. His arrival at Naturena was the culmination of a long pursuit, with the club having tracked him across several transfer windows before finally landing his signature. It was framed as a statement move, a piece to help drive Amakhosi back towards the summit.

Now his place in the project is in doubt.

Discussions are believed to be underway over a possible settlement that would see both parties agree to part ways before the end of his current deal. Cele still has two years remaining on his contract, and talks are described as sensitive at this stage, with no agreement yet in sight.

The midfielder is not thought to be in a rush to walk away on terms he deems unfavourable. Should negotiations fail to produce a package that satisfies him, he is understood to be prepared to remain at Naturena and see out his contract rather than force an exit this month.

Chiefs, for their part, are weighing up alternatives. A loan move has not been ruled out, nor has a permanent transfer, but any arrangement would have to align the interests of the club, the player and potential suitors before it can be signed off.

So, for now, Cele sits in limbo.

As the squad works under Da Cruz on Spanish pitches, his future remains unresolved, with further talks expected as the transfer window unfolds. Unless a solution emerges that suits everyone, Chiefs will start the new season with a high-profile midfielder still on their books, watching carefully for the next opportunity that fits his ambitions as much as the club’s new direction.