After Kaizer Chiefs head coach Fernando da Cruz revealed that Thabo Cele is not in his plans for the 2026/27 season, KickOff has the latest update on the midfielder's future.
"For Thabo Cele, we have a lot of players in his position and I prefer other profiles and for the moment he is not in my plans for the season," Da Cruz openly admitted in his first interaction with the media after Chiefs returned from a pre-season training camp in Spain.
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The player has not enjoyed regular game-time since arriving in January 2025 from Russian side Fakel Voronezh, making 36 appearances in one-and-a-half seasons.
The 29-year-old is no stranger to falling out of favour at Amakhosi, after he was sidelined for some time by former co-coaches Khalil Ben Youssef and Cedric Kaze and subsequently suffered an injury midway into last term, which saw him miss a number of matches after the league resumed in late January.
After missing out on a pre-season training camp in Spain, this website can reveal that Cele has not been re-integrated into the squad at the Naturena village and is currently training on his own, even though he still has two years left on his contract.
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According to sources, there are currently no official bids for the KwaMashu-born star's services, though his handlers have been given the leeway to look for opportunities and have been using the time to find the right move for the diminutive midfielder.
It is understood that Cele's camp would not necessarily jump at any offer for the 29-year-old, who is on a bumper contract at Naturena, and it would take an attractive option to lure him away from Amakhosi, even though he is not part of Da Cruz's plans.