Cele made 21 appearances for Chiefs last season without a goal or assist, though, as a deep-lying midfielder, that is not an unusual statistic. His overall number of appearances for Chiefs was 36.

His exit is the continuation of a journeyman career that has only really flourished in the lower leagues of Portugal, but which has also taken him to Radomiak Radom in Poland and Fakel in Russia.

It has certainly not panned out as expected for a player who was viewed as something of a prodigy when he signed for Benfica in 2017 and, shortly afterwards, made his Bafana Bafana debut in the COSAFA Cup that same year.

He never played for the Benfica first team, making just six appearances for the reserves before moving on.

Now 29, that promise has not been realised, and his exit from Chiefs is another blow after coach Fernando da Cruz made it clear Cele was not in his plans.

But that does not mean it is all doom and gloom, as the timing of his departure means he is a free agent and, despite his recent struggles, there should be no shortage of interested parties in the PSL.

It has been an exit long in the making. He did not travel to Spain with the team for pre-season and spoke as early as July of his openness to departing on the right terms.

“Kaizer Chiefs have terminated Thabo Cele’s contract by mutual agreement, following constructive discussions between both parties,” Amakhosi said in a statement. “The decision will allow Cele to pursue new opportunities while Amakhosi continue to reshape their squad for the 2026/27 season.

“The KwaMashu-born midfielder joined the Glamour Boys in January 2025, bringing international experience from his time in Europe and with the South African national team, and made his debut in the Soweto Derby the following month.

“We thank ‘Induna Yendawo’ for his commitment during his time at Kaizer Chiefs and wish him the very best in his future career.”