Nigerian striker Etiosa Ighodaro’s debut for Kaizer Chiefs will come with the club still carrying the option of adding another foreign player.
In joining Chiefs, Ighodaro has finally found his first permanent move from Mamelodi Sundowns, where he has had a contract since arriving from Nigeria almost seven years ago.
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The burly striker touched down in South Africa as a teenager, starting out in Mamelodi Sundowns’ development before moving to their feeder club M Tigers in the ABC Motsepe League.
Then, in the last four years, he has been on season-long loans to University of Pretoria, Chippa United, SuperSport United, and AmaZulu FC.
While he was at Usuthu last term, he was already eligible for permanent residence, which then allows for him to be registered as a non-foreign player.
That paperwork has since been issued, which then allows for the 24-year-old to play on a non-foreigner card at Chiefs, just like Gaston Sirino.
This means Inacio Miguel, Glody Makabi Lilepo, Fiacre Ntwari, and Flavio Silva will be the foreign registered players.
Miguel holds an Angolan and Portuguese passport, Makabi is Congolese, Ntwari Rwandan, while Silva has a Guinea-Bissau and Portuguese passport.
Ighodaro is expected to be available for selection after the FIFA break having had a training ground injury which required stitches.
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He has signed a deal that should keep him at the Soweto giants for at least two years.
His move comes after the struggles of a few Nigerian strikers that have been at Chiefs, who include Wasiu Ipaye, Anthony ‘Tony’ Ilodigwe, and Ibe Zito Ogbonna.
Photo: Daniel Hlongwane/Gallo Images
