Kaizer Chiefs have long carried the “Glamour Boys” tag, and their players are increasingly reflecting that identity through their fashion away from the football pitch.
The Chiefs dressing room brings together different personalities and backgrounds, with players expressing themselves through everything from contemporary streetwear to sporting fashion and cultural identity.
Lebogang Maboe is perhaps the most established fashion personality among the group.
The midfielder has previously been associated with fashion brands and has demonstrated an interest in contemporary clothing, while maintaining a strong connection to sportswear.
Maboe has spoken about prioritising comfort when travelling, combining items such as Puma Suedes, sweatpants and fashionable T-shirts, while also keeping a hoodie close at hand.
His fashion credentials have extended beyond football, including an association with Steve Madden in South Africa.
Maboe’s appeal lies in his versatility. His style can move between football-inspired athleisure and more polished looks, reflecting the growing overlap between football, fashion and personal branding.
Thabiso Monyane represents a younger generation for whom football and personal image increasingly go hand in hand.
The right-back joined Chiefs from Orlando Pirates and has already been involved in the club’s presentation of its latest kit, including modelling duties during its launch.
His relationship with Adidas also gives his style a distinctly sporting foundation, having been associated with the brand since his development days.
For Monyane, the modern footballer does not necessarily have to separate sporting identity from fashion. The two increasingly exist alongside each other, particularly for players building their profiles away from the pitch.
Sibongiseni “Ox” Mthethwa, meanwhile, offers perhaps the most culturally distinctive interpretation.
For Mthethwa, style is not simply about following the latest trends. The Chiefs midfielder carries a strong connection to his roots, with his Bhinca Nation identity forming an important part of the personality he presents away from football.
Born and raised in Estcourt, Mthethwa’s journey to the Glamour Boys has been anything but conventional.
Before establishing himself in professional football, he worked at a textile factory while pursuing his football ambitions, even running to work before starting his shift.
That background remains important to understanding the player beyond the footballer.
His arrival at Chiefs gave him another identity to carry — that of an Amakhosi player — but the two identities do not have to compete.
His Bhinca Nation roots and Chiefs status can exist side by side, creating an image that is rooted in where he comes from while reflecting the profile that comes with playing for the Glamour Boys.
For Inacio Miguel, there is an international influence.
The Portuguese-born Angola international arrived at Chiefs with a football journey that has taken him across different cultures, adding another layer to a dressing room already filled with diverse influences.
His style is less easily defined through documented interviews, but his presence reflects the increasingly global nature of the modern Chiefs squad.
And perhaps that is what makes the current Amakhosi dressing room interesting from a fashion perspective.
There is no single Chiefs look.
There are different personalities, backgrounds and interpretations of what it means to present yourself well — from Maboe’s established fashion credentials to Monyane’s sportswear influence, Mthethwa’s Bhinca identity and Miguel’s international perspective.
The “Glamour Boys” identity, it seems, does not have to stop when the players leave the pitch.
