The confirmation of Msimango’s transfer to Amakhosi seems highly likely.
TS Galaxy CEO Tim Sukazi has strongly suggested that their captain Given Msimango will join Kaizer Chiefs next season, and provided rationale for his sale. Although rumors about Msimango’s potential move to Chiefs had circulated for months, Sukazi’s recent remarks provide a more definitive confirmation.
Sukazi explained that the decision to transfer Msimango to Chiefs was made with the intention of exposing him to a more competitive environment, which would enable him to capture the attention of Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos.
Sukazi opined that Msimango’s chances of playing for the national team were limited while he was at TS Galaxy, and that a move to Chiefs would provide him with greater opportunities to showcase his skills and potentially secure a place in the national team
“Given Msimango needs to be in a pressured environment for him to play for the national team – he is a national asset,” Sukazi told SABC Sport.
Sukazi explained that Msimango would not be eligible for Bafana Bafana as long as he played for TS Galaxy, but he would likely be called up once he had played a few games for Chiefs, even in the Carling Cup. Sukazi asked if it would be better to keep a player like Msimango at TS Galaxy, preventing him from getting international exposure, or allow him to move to a bigger club where he would have a better chance of being called up to the national team even after playing a few minutes.
“You know as the members of the media as long as he is a TS Galaxy player he will not be called up. But for him to get one, he will play one or two games for Chiefs – even the Carling Cup – he will be in the national team. If you are me, do you want to hold on to this player so that he doesn’t get international caps when the country needs central defenders of his class and quality? Or you allow him to go to a club where, upon playing 10 minutes or even three making a cameo appearance he gets into the national team?”
“That’s where he belongs. We command one of the best records in this league [second to champions Sundowns] as TS Galaxy. Who has been spearheading our defense? Who has been our central pillar? What does it say? People will not talk about it, they won’t. You can’t count many of the clubs, it’s us and Sundowns…maybe Pirates also,” he elaborated.
Moreover, Sukazi emphasized the collective responsibility to nurture talented players and bolster the strength of Bafana Bafana, stating that the inclusion of high-caliber players in not only Mamelodi Sundowns, but also in Chiefs and Orlando Pirates, is essential for the national team’s success.
“It’s our responsibility. Of course, whatever comes from those transactions will be reinvested back into the club. Right now we are self-funded, but playing good football in a top league that South Africans want to see. We compete with clubs with budgets around hundreds of millions or more. Not every club is a big club, for SA football to be at a certain level, you need a very strong Pirates and Chiefs – not just Sundowns alone. They are the flagship of our football and must produce Bafana players,” added Sukazi.
