Bafana Bafana winger Elias Mokwana may be now playing in North Africa for Tunisian giants Esperance but that has not stopped reports linking him to Kaizer Chiefs.
Mokwana chose Esperance amid a strong interest from Chiefs when he left Sekhukhune United last year and he has had a successful season in Tunisia, scoring six goals while providing four assists in 2024-25, to win the league, Tunisian Cup and Tunisian Super Cup.
That means the player seems to have settled in Tunis but reports have claimed that Chiefs have not given up on him and have revived an interest, tabling an offer to Esperance to try and lure him back to South Africa.
Mokwana’s agency dismisses ‘disturbing stories’
However, his representatives have poured cold water on those rumours, terming them “disturbing stories,” while insisting the forward is fully focused on his team’s preparations for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
“There is no truth in those reports about Mokwana joining Kaizer Chiefs, there's nothing, nothing like that,” Mokwana's handlers Cream Sports told KickOff.
“It's just people having wishes, and it's one of those disturbing stories. His camp has not received nor heard any word from Chiefs and I can tell you, Mokwana is still happy at Esperance.”
How has Bafana winger performed at Esperance?
Mokwana signed a three-year contract when he joined Esperance although there were problems at the start when Sekhukhune claimed the $400,000 (R7.5 million) transfer fee had not hit their account two months after he signed.
The player also took time to adapt to his new environment but later blossomed and played a key role in Esperance’s title push and their journey to the CAF Champions League quarter-final, scoring three goals in each of the two competitions.
Chiefs are in the market for reinforcements upfront after their wingers and strikers failed to cover themselves in glory as they finished a disappointing ninth on the PSL, scoring just 25 goals in 28 matches, and coach Nasreddine Nabi has vowed to change the face of his attack to avoid a repeat next season.
