Kaizer Chiefs have confirmed the departure of defender Thatayaone Ditlhokwe to Libyan club Al-Ittihad.
Ditlhokwe ditched Amakhosi one-and-a-half seasons after joining the club from SuperSport United at the start of the 2024-25 PSL season.
The Botswana captain has left at a time when coach Nasreddine Nabi had started giving him a run in the team with his last match being last Friday’s 1-0 victory against Stellenbosch FC in the PSL.
‘TT’ as he is popularly known is a central defender who can also slot in at left-back where coach Nabi has been playing him in recent matches.
Chiefs failed to convince Ditlhokwe to stay
Chiefs Sporting Director Kaizer Motaung Jr says the Glamour Boys tried to convince the defender to stay but failed in their attempts as the offer from Libya was too good to turn down.
“It was not an easy decision for us when Al-Ittihad approached us regarding TT,” said Motaung Jr as per a statement on the club’s website.
“We engaged the player and during our discussions, he expressed his desire to move to Libya for further experience and opportunities. As a club, we didn’t want to impede his progress, and we appreciate his professionalism and discipline.
How much have Al-Ittihad paid for TT?
“Although we will miss him, we believe this is a fantastic opportunity for him, and we would like to thank him for his dedicated service to Chiefs and wish him the best of luck in his new venture.”
Al-Ittihad are believed to have tabled a $850 000 (R15.7 million) offer to Chiefs for Ditlhokwe and while they accepted it, they tried to talk the player out of a move but he declined.
The 26-year-old leaves Chiefs after making 32 appearances across all competitions during his 18 months at Naturena.
