Kaizer Chiefs have reportedly agreed to sell one of their key and most prized possessions to a club abroad.
Chiefs are currently out in the Netherlands as they begin to step up their preparations for next season.
Maart was not pictured in the Netherlands with Chiefs
Amakhosi arrived in the European country on Friday and after taking the day to settle, they got to it Saturday. The Chiefs squad was pictured going for an early morning run, similarly to their route in Turkey last season. Then in a video released later on the same day, it was seen that vice-captain Inacio Miguel was leading the side. Upon investigation it was noticed that regular captain Yusuf Maart had not been spotted at all before and during the trip so far.
This publication then reported that the cause of his absence was due to an imminent move abroad. Chiefs were believed to have agreed a deal with an unnamed Austrian Bundesliga team for Maart’s services. Now according to Unplayable, the club he is being sold to is newly promoted SV Ried!
Club agrees to sell him to Ried in Austrian topflight
“𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚
#UNPLAYABLE can reveal Kaizer Chiefs captain Yusuf Maart has left the club to join SV Ried in Austria . SV Ried is also home to SA’s Antonio van Wyk , and the team has been promoted to the top League.” They posted on their X account.
This comes as a surprise to many as Maart was believed to have just triggered his one-year option with Chiefs. It is a move that sort of mirrors that of former Amakhosi centre-back Siyabonga Ngezana. The player was a divisive figure within the club’s fan base but left having finished his last season strong. He went over to Europe in a shock move and has grown in leaps and bounds since. Maybe the same will happen when the midfielder moves to Ried.
Will Maart succeed like Ngezana did?
Similarly for Maart, the Chiefs fan base was calling for his head, before a strong end to last season. He was also the captain that ended the club’s 10-year trophy drought, scoring the winner in the Nedbank Cup in the process. Amakhosi fans, how do you feel about the move to Ried for your captain? Let us know by clicking on the comment tab. Or by emailing info@thesouthafrican.com or sending a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. You can also follow @TheSAnews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest news.
