Chippa Pip Rivals to Motsepe League Star?

Could Chippa United have pulled off one of the quieter but potentially shrewder signings of the transfer window?

If what's reaching the Soccer Laduma newsroom is anything to go by, the Gqeberha outfit may have stolen a march on their rivals by snapping up one of the standout performers from the ABC Motsepe League national playoffs.

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Sources close to the situation have whispered to the Siya crew that NC Professionals midfielder Lebohang "Shabba" Tshabalala - who turned heads with a string of eye-catching displays during the playoffs in Mthatha , is believed to have put pen to paper with the Betway Premiership side.

If confirmed, it would represent a significant step up for the combative midfielder, and a potential coup for a Chippa side always on the lookout for hungry, unpolished talent.

What makes this one even more intriguing? Shabba was apparently not short of admirers. Word doing the rounds suggests that Durban City had the player firmly in their sights, only for circumstances to conspire against them at the crucial moment.

“You remember that player from NC Professionals who was in the ABC playoffs? Shabba has signed for Chippa United. He was initially wanted by Durban City, but they didn't have a coach at that time, and they wanted to assess him first - then Chippa signed him,” a source in the know told Soccer Laduma.

To add further weight to the claims, Soccer Laduma reached out to TM Scouts' Tebogo Moloi - the man who reportedly first put Shabba on the radar of top-flight clubs after tracking him last season.

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“Yes, he has signed for Chippa, and it is a big loss for Durban City. I took him there last season, but they said they wanted someone with experience. They let him go, and Chippa have now benefited by signing him,” Moloi confirmed to this publication.

Soccer Laduma contacted Chippa United for official comment, but the club had not responded by the time of publishing.