{"id":24041,"date":"2025-08-20T12:34:33","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T10:34:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/?p=24041"},"modified":"2026-03-12T10:00:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T08:00:13","slug":"kaizer-chiefs-new-signings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/kaizer-chiefs-new-signings\/","title":{"rendered":"Motaung Jr. Outlines Kaizer Chiefs&#8217; Future Ambition with New Signings"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Kaizer Chiefs has secured the services of talented young players Asanele Velebayi, Luke Baartman, and Nigerian striker Etiosa Ighodaro. Sporting Director Kaizer Motaung Jr. has outlined the club\u2019s ambitious plans to invest in the next generation of football talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After Cape Town Spurs&#8217; relegation to the ABC Motsepe League, both Velebayi and Baartman became free agents. The duo joined Chiefs at a pivotal moment in their careers, as Motaung Jr. targets young talent to strengthen the team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-kaizer-chiefs-new-signings\">Kaizer Chiefs&#8217; New Signings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Velebayi (22) and Baartman (19) were unveiled during halftime of Chiefs&#8217; 1-0 victory in the Betway Premiership. The win marked their third consecutive victory of the season. They joined Ighodaro, who was also introduced to the crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Motaung Jr. shared his excitement about the club\u2019s strategy for the future of Kaizer Chiefs: <em>\u201cWe always had a clear strategy about getting the best young talent. Luke is 19, Asanele is 21. We\u2019ve specifically targeted them because they have strong characters, and they fit the players we need for how we want to play,\u201d<\/em> he told SuperSport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-3349664364\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-patience-is-key-for-young-stars\">Patience Is Key for Young Stars<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Although Motaung Jr. is excited to see Velebayi and Baartman\u2019s potential, he reminded Chiefs fans to be patient. <em>\u201cWe\u2019re excited to unleash them, but they need time to adapt to the environment and gel with the squad,\u201d<\/em> he said. <em>\u201cThis process hasn\u2019t been easy, and the squad is still a work in progress.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With Chiefs currently second in the Betway Premiership, Motaung Jr. remains confident about the team\u2019s growth. He added, <em>\u201cThey\u2019ll need time to understand who we are and how we play, but they have the talent to succeed.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"\ud83c\udf99\ufe0f Kaizer Jr. on Chiefs&#039; New Signings | Betway Premiership\" width=\"755\" height=\"425\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FhTT4cFKdRQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-ighodaro-to-hit-the-ground-running\">Ighodaro to Hit the Ground Running<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Motaung Jr. is confident that striker Ighodaro will make an immediate impact. Known for his goal-scoring ability, Ighodaro is expected to adapt quickly and contribute up front. <em>\u201cHe\u2019s a good number nine. With the supply from our offensive midfielders, Ighodaro will get you goals,\u201d<\/em> Motaung Jr. said, highlighting the Nigerian\u2019s potential in Chiefs\u2019 attacking setup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"gaute-679148031\" class=\"gaute-inbetween-content gaute-entity-placement\" style=\"margin-top: 30px;margin-bottom: 30px;margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;text-align: center;\"><div class=\"gaute-adlabel\">Advertisement<\/div><script async src=\"\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1852772760112594\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display:block;\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1852772760112594\" \ndata-ad-slot=\"1819787043\" \ndata-ad-format=\"auto\" data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\n<script> \n(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); \n<\/script>\n<\/div><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-looking-ahead-a-bright-future-for-chiefs\">Looking Ahead: A Bright Future for Chiefs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With the club&#8217;s investment in youth, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kaizerchiefs.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Chiefs<\/a> fans can look forward to an exciting future. Velebayi, Baartman, and Ighodaro will play key roles in the team\u2019s journey, though they will need time to adjust to the demanding environment at Naturena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Motaung Jr. concluded, <em>\u201cThe squad is picking up, but it\u2019s still a work in progress. Ighodaro will hit the ground running, while Velebayi and Baartman are ones for the future.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Check also: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/kaizer-chiefs-confirm-signing-of-etiosa-ighodaro\/\">Kaizer Chiefs Confirm Signing of Etiosa Ighodaro Ahead of Richards Bay Clash<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kaizer Chiefs\u2019 focus on young talent shows their commitment to long-term success. The club aims to build a team that balances youth and experience, with hopes to dominate the Premiership in the years ahead. Fans are hopeful that the new signings, particularly Velebayi, Baartman, and Ighodaro, will rise to the challenge and lead the team to glory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>What do you think of Chiefs\u2019 new signings? Are they the future of the club? Share your thoughts in the comments below.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kaizer Chiefs&#8217; Sporting Director Kaizer Motaung Jr. outlines the club&#8217;s ambition for the future, highlighting new signings Asanele Velebayi, Luke Baartman, and Etiosa Ighodaro.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":24057,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_focus_keyword":"","rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"Kaizer Chiefs' Sporting Director Kaizer Motaung Jr. outlines the club's ambition for the future, highlighting new signings Asanele Velebayi, Luke Baartman, and Etiosa Ighodaro.","footnotes":""},"categories":[59,56,64],"tags":[296,275,288],"class_list":{"0":"post-24041","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-soccer","8":"category-sports","9":"category-sports-news","10":"tag-betway-premiership","11":"tag-kaizer-chiefs","12":"tag-soccer"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24041","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24041"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24041\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24058,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24041\/revisions\/24058"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24057"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24041"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24041"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gauteng.net\/whats-on-g\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24041"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}