Kaizer Chiefs players during the Kaizer Chiefs media open day at Naturena Village on August 24. Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images
Jasond Gonzales, the fresh face at Kaizer Chiefs, has set foot in Naturena, but don’t hold your breath for an instant debut.
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The Colombian striker’s arrival has stirred fans’ hopes of a goal-scoring solution, but it’s going to take a little while for him to grace the field.
Chiefs coach Molefi Ntseki spilled the beans, mentioning that Gonzales’s transition might be a little difficult because of the time zone difference – jet lag perhaps.
Plus, there’s the paperwork hustle that the team managers are sorting out. Once all that’s squared away, Gonzales can hit the training ground and make his mark on the pitch.
“The new player coming in, there’s still an issue with paperwork, we will be advised by the office if the player is ready and available for selection,” said Ntseki.
Ntseki also made a couple more updates. Keagan Dolly, the team’s familiar face, is back in action after healing from an injury he picked last season.
He’s back and working up a sweat and gearing up to inject his magic back into the team soon.
Unfortunately, not everyone’s tip-top. There’s Ranga Chivaviro, who stepped off the pitch with a thigh strain in the showdown with TS Galaxy last weekend.
He’s lined up for a treatment plan and might make his return in a couple of weeks. Then there’s Edmilson Dove, who’s just kicked off training this week.
“We still have some long-term injuries… I think you saw Ranga leaving the field very early against TS Galaxy.
“He’s going to a rehab of some kind. So in the next two weeks he’ll be available for selection,” said Ntseki this week.
“The other player who has just started training with the team is Keagan Dolly, he has been out for a very long time.
“And (Edmilson) Dove also started [training] with the team this week. And hopefully when we come back from the FIFA week, we’ll have a full squad and all the players available.”
Ntseki’s hopeful that by the time the FIFA break’s done, he will have his full complement of players.
Dolly’s return brings a dose of much-needed experience, and the team could certainly use it.
Chiefs have had a bit of a bumpy start this season – one win, two losses, and a draw in four games. Not exactly the dream start they would have hoped for.
With their eyes on a match against AmaZulu FC in the DStv Premiership on Saturday, Chiefs are gearing up for a battle to turn the tide.
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It will be interesting to see if Dolly’s return and the squad’s hard work can shake things up and put them back on the victory track.
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