Kaizer Chiefs sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jr tips Thulani Mabaso for first-team return – ‘He is getting closer to match readiness’
Premier Soccer League
Kaizer Chiefs
T. Mabaso
K. Motaung Junior
Kaizer Chiefs vs Stellenbosch FC
Stellenbosch FC
Orlando Pirates vs Kaizer Chiefs
Orlando Pirates
The Glamour Boys have received a major boost in their quest for squad depth as the sporting director confirmed that Mabaso is rapidly approaching a senior return. The gifted midfielder has spent months on the sidelines but finally made his competitive comeback during a reserve team fixture this past weekend.
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Thulani Mabaso and Thabo Cele, Kaizer ChiefsKaizer Chiefs
Samuel Nkosi
01 Oct 2026 12:08+02:00
Kaizer Chiefs sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jr tips Thulani Mabaso for first-team return – ‘He is getting closer to match readiness’
Premier Soccer League
Kaizer Chiefs
T. Mabaso
K. Motaung Junior
Kaizer Chiefs vs Stellenbosch FC
Stellenbosch FC
Orlando Pirates vs Kaizer Chiefs
Orlando Pirates
The Glamour Boys have received a major boost in their quest for squad depth as the sporting director confirmed that Mabaso is rapidly approaching a senior return. The gifted midfielder has spent months on the sidelines but finally made his competitive comeback during a reserve team fixture this past weekend.
Thulani Mabaso, Kaizer ChiefsBackpage
Injury nightmare nearing its end
A wave of optimism is sweeping through Naturena following a significant fitness breakthrough for Thulani Mabaso.
The highly-rated midfield technician, who has long been earmarked for stardom by the Kaizer Chiefs faithful, successfully navigated his return to match action via the DStv Diski Challenge.
This was no gentle reintroduction to the pitch for the left-footed prospect, as he was thrust straight into the heat of a youth Soweto Derby.
In a pulsating affair staged at KwaMashu’s Princess Magogo Stadium, the Amakhosi youngsters claimed the local bragging rights, edge-of-the-seat drama defining a 3-2 triumph over rivals Orlando Pirates.
Motaung Jr delivers fitness update
Chiefs sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jr has hailed the successful comeback of Mabaso following the midfielder’s run-out for the reserve side.
The Amakhosi chief was full of praise for the grit displayed by the youngsters during the recent reserve-team Soweto Derby, noting that the playmaker’s involvement in the DDC was the final box to tick in his recovery roadmap.
“It was truly a gallant effort by the boys in their opening fixture,” Motaung Jr told the club’s official media channels.
Turning his attention to the returning star, he noted: “We were also happy to see senior team midfielder Thulani Mabaso play his first competitive match since picking up an injury a few months ago.
“His return means he is getting closer to match readiness for the first team.” With the medical green light now secured, the technical staff appears ready to fast-track Mabaso’s reintroduction to the senior squad as they look to bolster their midfield options.”
From DDC champion to senior prospect
The ascent of the Naturena academy graduate has been a sight to behold.
Having played a starring role in the squad that clinched the 2024/25 DDC crown, he was fast-tracked into the senior set-up as a direct reward for his exploits.
While he notched up seven appearances across all fronts during the 2025/26 term—earning plaudits for a level of maturity and technical quality that resonated with the Amakhosi faithful—fortune soon turned against him.
Just as he was finding his rhythm, a devastating injury sidelined the midfield conductor, ruling him out of the high-stakes matches that defined the end of the previous campaign
