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Why Kaizer Chiefs pulled out of the race to sign Percy Tau

Lunga Biyela|Published

Chiefs not interested According to Bobby Motaung, Kaizer Chiefs have pulled out of the race to sign former Al Ahly star Percy Tau. Photo: Ahmed Awaad/NurPhoto via AFP

Image: Ahmed Awaad/NurPhoto via AFP

Kaizer Chiefs football manager Bobby Motaung has revealed why the club did not follow up their pursuit of Percy Tau with a concrete offer.

The Bafana Bafana star is a free agent after leaving Qatari side Qatar SC and has been heavily linked with a move to Chiefs, who are in desperate need of some experience in their young side.

After some talks, Chiefs are now thought to have pulled out of the race to sign the 31-year-old on a free transfer.

"Our industry is funny. When you want a player and when we start talking (and) you start talking about money first, he's not coming to our club. That's not your player," Motaung said when speaking on the Smash Sports YouTube channel.

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"When you love the game, money will come. If you say, 'This is the club I want to play for' (we'll discuss other things later).

"But if you start off by saying, 'How much are you giving me?' that person is no longer playing for the game. The industry taught me that. The issue of salary… Yes, you need money, I need to pay school fees, maintenance, but the thing of loving people, sacrifice is hard. It’s something deep. If you don't have the right spirit, you can run away or quit," said Motaung.

With the move to Chiefs now seemingly off the table, Tau appears to be running out of options, as Egyptian side Zamalek have also opted against offering him a contract. According to reports, Tau’s salary demands seem to be putting clubs off.

One man who will be hoping for a quick resolution to Tau’s situation is Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos, who will be hoping to have the player available and match-fit when World Cup qualifiers resume in September.

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