Cape Town – Outgoing Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Siphiwe Tshabalala says that the 2008/09 season was his best campaign in Amakhosi colours.
The 33-year-old is set to join Turkish Super Lig side BB Erzurumspor ahead of the transfer window closure on Friday.
'Shabba', as the Soweto-born is affectionally known, has made a fantastic contribution to South African football over the years and will take his place amongst the legends of the nation.
His first goal in an Amakhosi jersey was against SuperSport United on the 31 October 2007, helping his side to a 1-0, after spending several months on the sideline due to injury.
When asked to single out his best season at Chiefs, Tshabalala said: "On a personal level I would say the 2008/2009 season when we won the MTN8.
"I won all the Kaizer Chiefs awards at the end of the season, including the Player of the Season, Players Player of the Season, Goal of the Season, Top Goalscorer of the Season, the Amakhosi Readers Choice of the Season and the Amakhosi Online Player of the Season."
Tshabalala has played 372 games for Amakhosi, including 336 starts and coming off the bench 36 times.
He has scored 58 goals for the Glamour Boys, with the last one, a beautifully taken free-kick against Baroka in a 1-1 draw on August 14.
"Its difficult to single out one," said Tshabalala as quoted by the club's website, when asked which his favourite goal is for Chiefs.
"However, for me, the most important was my first goal. That came in the 2007 Telkom Knockout quarter-final against SuperSport United when I scored the match-winner (Chiefs won 1-0).
"It helped us go to the semis. We actually went on to win the Telkom Knockout that season."
