Kaizer Chiefs legend Siphiwe Tshabalala has praised the club for taking their pre-season preparations to Türkiye as they sharpen their focus ahead of the new season.
The 2024-2025 campaign has ignited a new dawn for the Soweto giants, who are seeking to re-cultivate their winning culture by appointing an entirely new technical team.
The North African-dominated management group are led by Tunisian Nasreddine Nabi, and includes Khalil ben Youssef, Fernando da Cruz (two assistants), Ilyes Mzoughi (goalkeeper coach) and Safi Majdi (strength and conditioning).
In their first contact with the Glamour Boys squad, they’ve sought to test their psychological and physical limits through conditioning sessions in the mountains of Istanbul.
One of the club’s famous sons, Tshabalala, has given props to his former team for exposing the players to a different environment filled with opportunity.
Tshabalala, who joined Turkish side BB Erzurumspor in 2018, told the Chiefs website: “Türkiye has a lot to offer, from its beautiful cities to its passionate football fans.
“I hope the team will make the most of this opportunity and learn from their experiences.”
Ex-Glamour Boy Pollen Ndlanya, who also played for Goztepe and Bursaspor in the late 1990s, added: “The competitive atmosphere and professional set-up will be a great test for the players. Türkiye is a football-loving country, with a rich history of producing talented players.”
The club have already tested their progress against two teams, and will play a third match tomorrow.
With the team continuing with their pre-season camp and preparations in Turkiye, Amakhosi will play their third practice/friendly match against Qatar’s Al Shahaniya SC in Istanbul on Saturday, 20 July.#Amakhosi4Life
“With the team continuing with their pre-season camp and preparations in Türkiye, Amakhosi will play their third practice / friendly match against Qatar’s Al Shahaniya SC in Istanbul on Saturday, 20 July,” Chiefs confirmed on their website yesterday.
“Al Shahaniya gained promotion to the Qatar Stars League (QSL) after they were crowned champions at the end of the previous season.”
In Spain, Orlando Pirates have gone about their business in impressive style as they aim to improve on their two-trophy season of the 2023/2024 campaign.
The Buccaneers first met English Championship side Plymouth Argyle and drew 2-2, before beating La Liga side Sevilla 2-0 three days later.
Pirates then drew 1-1 against Spanish second division side Granada on Wednesday night.
☠️ ⏪️ 𝗬𝗔𝗗𝗛𝗖𝗧𝗔𝗠 ⏪️
— Orlando Pirates (@orlandopirates) July 18, 2024
🤝 #preseason friendly
📆 17 July 2024
🏟 Banus Football Center
⚽️ @orlandopirates 1 - 1 @GranadaCF pic.twitter.com/8NCc3QysCR
For Mamelodi Sundowns, although still in pre-season, life after Rulani Mokwena has not been as shiny as initially anticipated after back-to-back defeats in Austria.
The Brazilians kicked off their six-game pre-season tour with a 2-1 loss to German third division outfit Sandhausen at the Jenbach Arena on Tuesday.
Ukrainian outfit Dynamo Kyiv was the second side to lay a mark on Sundowns on Wednesday with a 1-0 win.
Coaches Steve Komphela and Manqoba Mngqithi will look to establish a winning mark when Sundowns next tackle Welsh side Cardiff City next Tuesday, before colliding with Saudi Pro League champions Al Hilal next Friday.