Kaizer Chiefs, the newly crowned champions of the DStv Diski Challenge, are set to take on English giants Manchester United next month.
Having clinched the DDC title for the first time in the tournament’s history, amassing an impressive 70 points, Chiefs will embark on an 11-day tour of the United Kingdom, scheduled from November 25 to December 7, 2025.
The team will test their skills against international competition, including matches against Leeds United and Queens Park Rangers (QPR) U21.
Chiefs’ UK tour will kick off with a highly anticipated fixture against the Red Devils on Friday, November 28. Following the clash with United, the team will face Leeds United on December 2, before concluding their UK adventure with a showdown against QPR U21 in London on December 6.
Chiefs will also participate in academy exchange visits with Manchester United and Liverpool, enriching their knowledge through invaluable mentorship and experience-sharing opportunities. The players will also be spectators of a live Premier League fixture, where Leeds United will face Chelsea.
The Amakhosi drafted a few of their DDC stars such as Matlaba Kabelo Nkgwesa, Thulani Mabaso, and Takalani Mazhamba into their senior squad during pre-season and are likely to utilise some of them during the on-going Betway Premiership season.
DDC captain Aden McCarthy, whose father Fabian McCarthy played against the Red Devils for Chiefs, has also since graduated from the reserve side to the senior ranks, where he has starred in Chiefs’ victories over Stellenbosch FC and Polokwane City at the start of the 2025/26 season, with the 21-year-old earning the Player of the Match award in both matches.
Chiefs are trending in all directions since also on Wednesday they received a major boost after Safa arbitrator Hilton Epstein ruled that midfielder Asanele Velebayi and forward Luke Baartman are now eligible to represent their new club, Chiefs, following months of dispute over their move from Cape Town Spurs.
The duo joined Amakhosi as free agents after Spurs were relegated from the Motsepe Foundation Championship at the end of last season.
Following their drop to the ABC Motsepe League, Spurs’ entire squad was reclassified as amateur footballers. Chiefs moved swiftly to secure the signatures of the two promising youngsters, with Spurs facing the prospect of losing their prized assets without compensation.
Baartman is currently on international duty with the South African Under-20 team at the Fifa Under-20 World Cup in Chile.
“We expect the award to be fair to everyone involved,” Spurs chairman Ari Efstathiou said as quoted by Kick-Off regarding the Epstein ruling.
“This situation is not about winning or losing; it’s about providing clarity. Imagine playing in the NFD with a group of players who no longer feel committed because they want to leave for free. If that happens, we risk losing games.
“These players won’t give their all for the team anymore. Even if the club gets relegated, they can leave without any financial consequences. That just doesn’t make sense.
“While everyone is focused on these three players, we must also consider the other 18 on the team. We are protecting even those who remain.
“It takes significant investment to develop players—around R8 million per player if they have been with us since the age of 12.
“Consider how much money is needed to develop a single professional player, and we must factor in those costs as well. We account for everything, including the water we use on the field. Do you think the Cape Town City Council provides us with water for free? No.
“So, we will wait and see what happens”
Chiefs again made headlines on Wednesday after their Marketing and Commercial Director Jessica Motaung was appointed on FIFA Men’s Football Stakeholders Committee. Motaung’s appointment on the FIFA Committee comes two years after she was already appointed as vice-president of the African Clubs Association (ACA).
However, Motaung’s appointment attracted mixed reactions. While some people congratulated her, some also criticised labelling it the endorsement for Chiefs to continue ignoring women’s football.
