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JOHANNESBURG. — The Kaizer Chiefs duo of Zimbabwean striker Khama Billiat and Keagan Dolly will continue as the top earners at the South African Premiership football club next season despite all the shake-ups that have been happening at the club during this break. 

Chiefs have been quick to dust off players on heavy packages who have done little to justify their stay at the club and these include Leonardo Castro, Samir Nurkovic, Lebogang Manyama and Bernard Parker.

Also heading for the exit were Daniel Cardoso, Dumisani Zuma, Daniel Akpeyi, Lazarous Kambole and Kearyn Baccus who will all not be getting improved contracts to what they were on at Chiefs. 

Yesterday, Kaizer Chiefs also released defender Siphosakhe Ntiya-Ntiya as the Soweto giants continue their squad shakeup in preparation for next season. 

The departure of these players has freed up R30 million worth of contracts per annum for the club. 

Kenyan midfielder Teddy Akumu has been transfer-listed and will also not get any club offering him a better deal with any club that shows interest in his services.

From those remaining at Chiefs the pair of Billiat and Dolly will continue to carry the heaviest deals. 

Dolly is heading into his second year at the club and will be on to a slightly improved package. 

The Bafana Bafana international is on over R8 million per year. 

He scored eight goals with five assists from 28 appearances in his first year. 

Zimbabwean kingpin Billiat, who as at 2022 earned an estimated salary of R850 000 per month and R10 million annually before tax, is heading into the last season of his contract which will push his stay at Naturena to five years. 

Billiat joined from Mamelodi Sundowns — where he was once teammates with Dolly — in July 2018 and has been on one of the best contracts ever in the history of the PSL.

He just came off a season in which he had 16 goal contributions (eight goals and eight assists) in 29 appearances but will be aware that he needs to improve on that to earn an extension. 

Only nine goals scored by Chiefs this past season didn’t involve either Dolly or Billiat.

The two players are also amongst the top five earners in the league. 

Dolly turns 30 in January while Billiat is 32 in August. 

The only other player still on top money at Chiefs is Itumeleng Khune though he took a salary cut in agreeing to his latest contract. 

Meanwhile, with preparations for the 2022/23 season already in full swing, Kaizer Chiefs have added five more players to the squad, with the arrival of Dillan Solomons, Kamohelo Mahlatsi and Lehlogonolo George Matlou from Swallows FC, Siyethemba Sithebe from AmaZulu FC, and the official promotion of Mduduzi Shabalala from the Chiefs Reserve side set to bolster the Glamour Boys’ quest for glory. 

Having secured the services of Ashley Du Preez and Zitha Kwinika for the next three years earlier this month, Chiefs management and the technical team have been hard at work to try and acquire the right players to fit into the system that will hopefully bring DStv Premiership success in the coming season. 

Right-sided defender cum wingback, Solomons, is 26-year-old and hails from Steenberg in Cape Town. He played 29 matches for Swallows in the last season and was involved in all the four play off matches for the Dube Birds. He has penned a four-year deal at Naturena. 

Joining him is 23-year-old Mahlatsi, a talented attacking midfielder from Sebokeng in the Vaal Triangle, who has signed with Amakhosi until 2025. 

Matlou, also 23, makes up the trio of players leaving Swallows for Chiefs. The midfielder has signed a two-year contract with an option for a year’s extension. 

After making headlines earlier this year as an exciting playmaker, Chiefs have managed to attract Newcastle-born Siyethemba Sithebe from AmaZulu on a two-year deal running from July 1 until June 30, 2024. One of the really talented prospects from the Kaizer Chiefs Youth Development Academy, Mduduzi Shabalala has impressed sufficiently to be rewarded with a senior team contract for three years after spending the last few seasons in the Reverse team. 

The diminutive and quick player also plays as an attacking midfielder. Towards the end of last season, he was invited to a trial at Belgian club, KVC Westerlo, where he impressed. He also spent time in Spain with Villareal, who had taken notice of his stellar performances in the Cosafa U20 Championship. 

The team is expected back this week for tests ahead of their preseason training. — KickOff.com