Miguel link to Chiefs: who is the Angolan defender?

While they've been struggling to buy players from local clubs, Kaizer Chiefs are said to have paid R4,5m for experienced Angolan defender Inacio Miguel.

This is according to reports from Angola.

The 28-year-old Miguel joins Amakhosi from Angolan giants Petro de Luanda. Sowetan has gathered that Miguel penned a three-year deal at Naturena and will be unveiled next week after arriving in the country.

Miguel, who was born in Portugal, is capped five times by Angola. The tried and tested midfielder is versatile as he can play right-back and central midfield, a position Amakhosi have particularly struggled at since the departure of Willard Katsande in July 2021.

Having struggled for game time at Petro last season, making eight starts from 10 appearances, Miguel will be eager to redeem himself in SA and boost his chance of returning to the national team as he missed out on the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Ivory Coast early this year, where Angola crashed out in the quarterfinals at the hands of Nigeria.

Despite Miguel's limited game time last term, Petro still managed to defend their league title.

Miguel is the second Angolan to join a South African side in the current transfer window after his former teammate at Petro, Gilberto, joined Chiefs' archrivals Orlando Pirates.

The Angolan will be Chiefs' fifth signing before the start of the 2024/25 season, joining Gaston Sirino, Bongani Sam, Rushwin Dortley and Fiecre Ntwari.

Interestingly, Miguel's arrival means Amakhosi should let go of one foreign player as PSL rules stipulate that only five non-South Africans can be registered in a season.

While Uruguayan Sirino is now naturalised, Edmilson Dove (Mozambique), Ntwari (Rwanda), Thatayaone Ditlhokwe (Botswana), Edson Castillo (Venezuela) and Christian Saile (DR Congo) fill up Amakhosi's foreign quota.

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