Kaizer Chiefs football manager Bobby Motaung has cracked open the door for the possible return of three high-profile players who are on the glamour club’s transfer list. Motaung said there could be a reprieve for Siyanda Xulu‚ Edward Manqele and Siphelele Mthembu if the three players are able to prove to head coach Steve Komphela that they are determined to win back their places in the team in the coming days.‘‘Sometimes this sort of thing (putting a player on the transfer list) jacks the player up‚ he then wakes up and realises the reality of the situation‚” Motaung said.‘‘He goes to camp‚ becomes positive and he changes. You never know‚ football is like that sometimes.‘‘It can happen to the three of them because they are still part of the team. We cannot discard them and they are going to be training in camp while they are on transfer. You never know what can happen in camp.” Former Chiefs star Mandla Masango was in a similar position two years ago and it seemed he was on his way out of Naturena after he was surprisingly placed on the transfer list.But the midfielder managed to convince then coach Stuart Baxter to give him another chance before the start of the 2014/2015 season and he grabbed the opportunity with both feet.He finished that season as the club’s top goal scorer with nine goals in all competitions and then went on to earn a move to Denmark club Randers FC.He has now become a Bafana Bafana regular and appreciative Randers fans voted him as their player of the season a few weeks ago. Motaung said there is nothing stopping the trio from using Masango’s example and also working their way back into Komphela’s plans.‘‘Mandla Masango was supposed to leave the club at the time and he was on transfer. The rest of the team was going to (a pre-season) camp and in the last minute as the bus was leaving‚ we decided to put him on the bus and he went on to become a shining star that season," Motaung added.Motaung said the club’s decision to clean house and release 20 players early this month was informed by a technical report that was compiled by the club’s coaching staff at the end of last season.He said the report was compiled over what was a disappointing campaign - where Chiefs finished fifth - and the decision to release players was not an emotional one. ‘‘Some were players who had matured‚ some were players who had achieved already. So there was a lack of ambition‚ there was a lack of energy and a lack of hunger.‘‘We knew that was the imbalance Steve was going to find here (when he joined the club from Maritzburg United last year). Those who had the comfort did not want to let go and the hunger and the energy of doing more was not there. "So we had to look at that challenge going forward and decide how we were going deal with it and turn around the team.‘‘It had to happen when Steve got here. We could not turn around the team before Steve got here. It is for this reason that we only made changes to the team when he came. "Some come here and they think taking a team photo means they are part of the team. But they forget that the energy is on the field.” — TMG Digital..