KAIZER Chiefs are set to renew the contract of left-back Siphosakhe Ntiya-Ntiya as the defender has done well in the last few matches, SunSport has learnt.
Ntiya-Ntaya’s contract with the Soweto giants will expire at the end of this season on 30 June.
It is a remarkable turnaround for Ntiya-Ntiya, who at the beginning of the season was transfer-listed by the club alongside Zambian striker Lazalous Kambole.
But no club came forward to sign the duo and remained with the Naturena-based outfit.
While things have not improved for Kambole in getting game time, things are looking up on Ntiya-Ntiya.
This after Chiefs’ number one left-back Sifiso Hlanti suffered a long-term injury and is set to miss the majority of the season.
That has opened a window for Ntiya-Ntiya to impress coach Stuart Baxter which is the reason why the club management are keen to extend his contract. As he is in the last six months of his current contract, by law he is obliged to sign a pre-contract with the club of his choice, and Chiefs were at risk to lose him for free if his situation could not improve.
“Kaizer Chiefs are going to renew the contract of Ntiya-Ntiya,” said the insider.
“They feel he has played well since Hlanti picked up a long-term injury and they feel he has to be rewarded with the new deal.”
The 25-year-old has featured in four league matches this season, but three of those games have come in the last matches. Since Ntiya-Ntiya was promoted in January 2018, he has featured in 53 matches and is yet to score a goal.
Meanwhile, as previously revealed by SunSport, Amakhosi management are also set to extend the contract of Nigeria veteran goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi, who has been preferred in goals by Baxter this season.
Akpeyi, who joined Chiefs from Chippa United in the second half of 2018-19 season, will see his contract also expire in June.
Chiefs have to sit down with stand-in captain Bernard Parker, who just like Akpeyi and Ntiya-Ntiya, his deal will expire in June.
Parker equalled the all-time record held by Siphiwe Tshabalala of 58 goals for Chiefs in the PSL era, after netting twice against SuperSport United in October last year.
