Links glad he’s moved up north
Teen says youngsters get a chance in Egypt
While young star Gift Links is pleased to be back home for the holidays, the Bafana Bafana prodigy has no intentions of making a return to SA on a full-time basis.
At the tender age of 19, he took a leap of faith in January, relocating to north Africa to join Egyptian club Alassiouty SC. He was signed from Platinum Stars after he became frustrated at the lack of game time at his home town club.
Links, who turns 20 on October 2, hopes that his next move will be further up north – to France, Spain or England.
“I don’t plan on coming back to the PSL any time soon. Egypt is closer to Europe so hopefully I will be able to make the [Europe] move in future,” he said.
“I have always been brave and I am not afraid of takings risks. … So the objective is to go higher and higher, and it would be a step backward to return to SA.
“It was the right decision for me because I am playing week in, week out at my club and I am enjoying it there. I saw Dikwena struggling and I was not playing, so I had to make a move,” said the attacker from Rustenburg,
North West.
He counts going to see the pyramids of Giza as an incredible experience.
“Egypt has a lot of history and interesting things and for me as well to go from the mountains of Phokeng to the pyramids is amazing.”
He jumped ship just at the right time before Dikwena were relegated to the National First Division (NFD) at the end of the recently-concluded season. He and Phakamani Mahlambi of Al Ahly surprised football followers by leaving for Egypt as teenagers in 2017. Links says the league in Egypt is full of young players because coaches are not afraid to use them.
“When you are young and good enough you will get a chance to play there,” said
Links.