Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi was reportedly in Egypt last week on a scouting mission as he looks at players to strengthen his attack.
Chiefs are in the market for attacking reinforcements after a poor season in 2024-25 which saw all their strikers disappoint with none of them coming close to scoring 10 goals in the just-concluded campaign.
With Ranga Chivaviro released and Tashreeq Morris’ future uncertain, Nabi is badly in need of a striker and he is reported to have been in Egypt to try and convince Fiston Mayele one more time.
Mayele, who has led Pyramids to their maiden CAF Confederation Cup title, is a wanted man at Naturena with the club having tracked him for nearly three years and interest accelerated when Nabi joined Chiefs.
Nabi not giving up on Mayele just yet
However, the tactician was not able to convince the Congolese forward to move last season but he is trying again this time as he looks to add a striker he knows too well following their hugely successful two-year spell in Tanzania with Yanga between 2021 and 2023.
“The coach is looking at the players who he believes can help the team next season. Not just in the local competitions but in Africa as well,” a Chiefs source told Soccer Laduma.
“You know they were in Tanzania where they are set to sign Feisal Salum from Azam FC and the main reason for going to Egypt was to find out what's happening with Fiston Mayele. You know he knows he is from DRC, then Yanga and he believes he can help Chiefs in playing in Africa. That was his mission in Egypt.”
Congolese forward is a proven goal scorer
While Nabi is keeping his hopes high, Chiefs appear to be giving up on the striker as he is seen by insiders at the club to be out of reach given his pay demands and asking price have now gone up thanks to his heroics last season, where he ended as the top scorer in the Champions League with nine goals.
“Chiefs have been chasing Mayele for almost three seasons if not more. They had a chance to sign him for free at one point but it didn't work,” another source told the outlet.
“Then he joined Pyramids FC in Egypt and his price has been rising and Chiefs felt like it's too much. But now they are reconsidering that after coach Nabi's scouting mission to Egypt, it will now all go down to money to decide whether they sign him or not.”
Mayele scored 18 goals in 38 games as he helped Pyramids to Champions League and Egyptian Cup double in the just-concluded season, having managed 21 the previous season.
