With Kaizer Chiefs' scouting capacity put into question, legend Lucas Radebe has outlined the club's urgency and passion to leapfrog other clubs to the best young talents in the country.
Chiefs used to recruit the best players across the country during their formative years and even into the early 2000s.
However, the football fraternity has raised concerns that Amakhosi no longer attract the best players, with the cream of the crop in the country ending up at Mamelodi Sundowns.
As a result, Sundowns have become a more dominant team, with the Glamour Boys having to play catch up.
READ: Nabi: We Are Building
Radebe, who was one of the stars in the Amakhosi team of the 90s, has triggered memories of how advanced the club's scouting processes were, revealing that Chiefs beat Orlando Pirates to his services while he was still at school.
"At school we played in a cup final, I think they (Chiefs) saw me there. Apparently Pirates were interested but Chiefs overtook them, they (Pirates) came late. Then Ace (Ntsoelengoe) approached me and said, 'Come'. But I said they must speak to my mom," Radebe said in an interview on izinja zeGame podcast with Josta Dladla.
Radebe, who was one of the stars in the Amakhosi team of the 90s, has triggered memories of how advanced the club's scouting processes were, revealing that Chiefs beat Orlando Pirates to his services while he was still at school.
"At school we played in a cup final, I think they (Chiefs) saw me there. Apparently Pirates were interested but Chiefs overtook them, they (Pirates) came late. Then Ace (Ntsoelengoe) approached me and said, 'Come'. But I said they must speak to my mom," Radebe said in an interview on izinja zeGame podcast with Josta Dladla.
Read: A Different Back Four For Nabi Against Downs?
"My mom was refusing! She was saying, 'This is just an excuse to party'. But I came back for trial, my said, 'only one week and we'll see what happens'.
"My parents sent me back but Jeff Butler convinced (them). Kaizer (also) himself approached them and said, 'We want to sign him'. But there were T's and C's, like I had to finish school... I was earning about R1500 (when I started at Chiefs), I was still at school," Radebe revealed.
There is hope that the fortunes of the Glamour Boys could change in the off-season, with indications that further adjustments look set to be made ahead of the new campaign.
"My mom was refusing! She was saying, 'This is just an excuse to party'. But I came back for trial, my said, 'only one week and we'll see what happens'.
"My parents sent me back but Jeff Butler convinced (them). Kaizer (also) himself approached them and said, 'We want to sign him'. But there were T's and C's, like I had to finish school... I was earning about R1500 (when I started at Chiefs), I was still at school," Radebe revealed.
There is hope that the fortunes of the Glamour Boys could change in the off-season, with indications that further adjustments look set to be made ahead of the new campaign.
This comes after the signings of the likes of Thabo Cele and Makabi Lilepo lifted the performance of the team during the current season.
