Botswana national team captain Thatayaone Ditlhokwe has revealed what he will miss the most at Kaizer Chiefs following his shock departure most recently.
Chiefs announced last Friday that they have parted ways with Ditlhokwe as he’s joining Libyan giants Al-Ittihad. At his new club, Ditlhokwe will link up with his fellow compatriot Tumisang Orebonye. The latter is also new at the club after recently joining from Moroccan side AS FAR Rabat.
Thatayaone Ditlhokwe joined Amakhosi ahead of the 2023/24 season as a free agent after parting ways with SuperSport United. In January 2024, he had signed a pre-contract with Amakhosi.
During his 18-month stay with the Soweto giants, the 26-year-old made 32 appearances in all competitions and scored two goals. Ditlhokwe’s first season was a decent one as he featured reguarly, forming a partnership with Given Msimango at centre-back. However, his season has also hampered by injuries under then coaches Molefi Ntseki and Cavin Johnson.
In the early stages of the 2024/25 season, the talented centre-back had limited gametime with Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi preffering the centre-back pairing of Inacio Miguel and Rushwin Dortley.
But Ditlhokwe was starting to play on a regular basis as a left-back as he made 11 appearances this season.
LEAVING CHIEFS: DITLHOKWE REFLECTS ON WHAT HE’LL MISS
As he leaves Amakhosi, Ditlhokwe says what he will miss the most at Chiefs is the brotherhood and understanding he had with his teammates.
“Kaizer Chiefs is one of the big teams in South Africa. The time when I stepped here, I realised I have stepped out of my comfort zone, I’m going to be pushed beyond my limit,” Ditlhokwe told the Kaizer Chiefs media department.
“Each and every game, the stadium is packed, you should bring your A-game. What I will miss the most is the connection that I had with the players. Home will always be home, it’s time to step to another challenge. If I combine what I’ve learnt here and what I’m going to learn there, it means I’ve added a value on my career also.”
He further expressed his gratitude to chairman Dr Kaizer Motaung for the opportunity and to the Amakhosi faithful for their support.
“I want to take this opportunity to thank the chairman for giving me the opportunity. I will aways be grateful and it was a privilege to be part of Kaizer Chiefs. To the supporters, I thank them so much for the support they showed and Amakhosi for life.”