By Wale Mustapha
South African giants Kaizer Chiefs have expressed interest in signing Nigerian goalkeeper Japhet Opubo as they look to reinforce their squad ahead of the 2025/26 Premier Soccer League (PSL) campaign.
The Soweto-based club is reportedly prioritizing the goalkeeping position following a disappointing 2024/25 season, during which they conceded the second-highest number of goals in the league.
According to reports from South African media, Opubo is being considered as a potential solution to Kaizer Chiefs’ defensive struggles.
The 30-year-old is among the most experienced shot-stoppers in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), having won the 2023/24 league title with Enugu Rangers. He has also previously featured for Bayelsa United, Heartland, and Sunshine Stars.
A move to Kaizer Chiefs would mark Opubo’s first stint abroad, as he continues to build on a strong domestic career in Nigerian football.
No official offer has been made yet, but talks are believed to be at a preliminary stage.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
