‘He’s not in my plans’ – Da Cruz shuts door on Kaizer Chiefs midfielder

Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando da Cruz has effectively ended speculation about midfielder Thabo Cele’s future at the club.

Cele’s future has become a subject of discussion this month after he was left out of the club’s pre-season squad to Spain before it later emerged that he was leaning out rather than in.

The midfielder, who signed for Chiefs in January 2025 after leaving Russian club Fakel Voronezh, has been an integral member of the team since then.

Da Cruz seals Thabo Cele’s fate

However, his stock fell in the second half of last season when he was used sparingly, leading to reports that he could be headed out.

Now, following the recent developments, Da Cruz has all but confirmed what was expected after making it clear that the 29-year-old is not in his plans ahead of his first season as the Chiefs coach.

“Thabo Cele, we have a lot of players in his position. I prefer other profiles and for the moment, he’s not in my plans,” Da Cruz told the media on Friday in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Toyota Cup match against Scottland FC of Zimbabwe on Sunday.

Chiefs star favours move abroad

Cele has been training alone since it emerged that his future at Chiefs was bleak. The midfielder reportedly favours a move abroad and has been linked to a number of clubs in recent days.

The KwaMashu-born midfielder had played in Europe all his career, starting out in Portugal in 2016, and then Russia in 2021, before returning home after terminating his contract with Voronezh.