Kaizer Chiefs are celebrating a major multi-million rand financial boost courtesy of the FIFA World Cup, despite having just one player representing the club on football’s grandest stage.
Left-back Bradley Cross has officially locked in an estimated R6.4 million ($350,000 USD) payout for the Soweto giants through FIFA’s Club Benefits Programme.
How Bafana Bafana Multiplied the Jackpot
Under FIFA guidelines, clubs receive daily financial compensation for releasing players to international tournament duty. The further a nation progresses, the larger the financial reward for the parent club.
Initially, the Glamour Boys were on track to pocket roughly R2.4 million based purely on South Africa’s group-stage participation. However, Bafana Bafana’s historic push into the Round of 32 significantly expanded the final payout, nearly tripling the financial injection headed to Naturena. Even though the 25-year-old defender did not see active pitch time during the tournament, his official inclusion in Hugo Broos’ final 26-man roster guaranteed the full compensation package.
A Priceless Experience for the New Campaign
Cross, who originally sharpened his skills in the elite youth ranks of English Premier League side Newcastle United before breaking out domestically at Golden Arrows, has quickly proved his worth since joining Chiefs.
Former Kaizer Chiefs assistant coach Cedric Kaze insists that the sheer exposure to a World Cup environment will pay massive dividends on the pitch for Amakhosi:
“I’m pretty sure that the experience that he is going to get from this World Cup, the confidence that he is going to come back with, the self-belief… will help him as well as his club,” Kaze noted to FARPost.
Cross has already linked back up with the rest of the squad at their high-intensity pre-season training camp in Alicante, Spain. With the new Betway Premiership season kicking off in just a couple of weeks, Chiefs fans will be eager to see their R6.4 million man channel that World Cup confidence into a dominant domestic campaign.
