Sibongiseni Cele Excluded from Chiefs' Spain Tour

Sibongiseni Cele’s Kaizer Chiefs future has been thrown into sharp focus after the midfielder was a surprise omission from the Amakhosi squad that flew out to Spain for their pre-season tour under new coach Fernando Da Cruz.

The 28-year-old, who had been involved throughout Chiefs’ preparations for the 2026/27 campaign, was understood to have expected a seat on the plane. Instead, word of his exclusion reached him shortly before departure, a late twist that underlines how sharply his situation at Naturena has shifted.

Cele returned to the Premier Soccer League in January last year after spending the bulk of his professional career abroad. His arrival at Chiefs carried the weight of expectation: a marquee signing, long tracked over several transfer windows before the club finally got their man. It was meant to be a statement deal.

Now, the conversation has turned from integration to separation.

Talks are believed to be underway over a possible settlement that would allow both parties to cut ties before the end of his current contract, which still has two years to run. Those discussions are described as sensitive, with all sides wary of how the process is handled and how it plays out in the dressing room and beyond.

If no agreement is reached, Cele is understood to be prepared to stay put and see out his deal rather than accept terms he considers unfavourable just to move on this month. He may not be on the plane, but he is not ready to be pushed out of the club on any terms.

Chiefs, for their part, are weighing up the options. A loan move is on the table. So is a permanent transfer. Any solution, though, will need to satisfy the player, the club, and any potential suitor before a deal can be signed off.

For now, the situation sits in limbo. The transfer window offers time, but not clarity.

Unless a suitable resolution emerges, Cele is likely to remain contracted to Chiefs, watching from Naturena while assessing what comes next as a new season – and a new era under Da Cruz – gathers pace without him.