Players Abroad Round-Up
Over the past decade, the number of South African footballers starring in the biggest leagues in world football has significantly diminished and the 2020/21 season has seen some of the nation’s most high-profile players watch from the sidelines. But a new dawn has been promised with Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos looking towards building a new-look squad and some budding talent looks primed to benefit. KICK OFF’s Lorenz Köhler has taken a look at the highs and lows of some of the South African footballers abroad following the conclusion of the latest campaign.
Bongani Zungu Amiens and Rangers (loan), France and Scotland
A season of contrasting fortunes for the ‘Beast’ as he enters the prime of his career at the age of 28.
While Bongani Zungu made it clear that he wished to move on from Amiens after their relegation to Ligue 2, Scottish Premier League giants Rangers won the race for his signature on a six-month loan deal which will live long in his memory.
He was part of a historic ‘Invincibles’ squad led by Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard that went through the season unbeaten and another league winners medal added to his CV was the highlight.
But only four starts from 20 appearances across all competitions didn’t allow the Bafana Bafana star much chance to establish himself to earn a permanent switch.
The controversial ban from the Scotland Football Association and hefty fine sanctioned by Rangers after he broke COVID-19 lockdown regulations with a couple of youth team players didn’t exactly paint him in a good light either.
But remains a quality player that’s not likely to struggle to land a new club. He’s returned to Amiens now after the expiry of his temporary switch.
Percy Tau Anderlecht (loan) and Brighton and Hove Albion, Belgium and England
After recently turning 27, the poster boy of South African football is no longer the promising talent who once terrorised defenders in the South African top-flight, but rather a senior figure in the national team entering the prime of his career.
While his season started brightly while on loan at Vincent Kompany’s Anderlecht with four league goals in his first 14 games – his highly anticipated return to Brighton turned out to be rather counterproductive.
In his first six months in the English Premier League, manager Graham Potter afforded Percy Tau 102 minutes of league action, which yielded one assist against West Ham United in May. He also featured three times in the English FA Cup.
Interest from Jupiler Pro League side Antwerp has emerged amid his struggles to break into the first-team but Tau and the Seagulls management have reiterated that he will be given the chance to establish himself in the English top-flight next season.
Lebogang Phiri Guimgamp, France
Like Tau and Zungu, Lebogang Phiri had a tale of two halves last season in the French Ligue 2. Phiri is widely considered as one of the nations most talented players that for some or other reason has not quite been given the stage to showcase his talent in the national team. But his influence on Guingamp is there for all to see during last season.
After an eight-month injury lay-off having undergone knee surgery, Phiri returned with his side languishing in the relegation zone. But the six starts in the last seven games of the campaign influenced an unbeaten run to propel them into an eighth-place finish in the 20-team division.
The 26-year-old midfielder will now leave the Ligue 2 side after his contract expired following a four-year stint, where he was at one point named captain to retain his services.
Keagan Dolly Montpellier, France
After a couple of injury-hit campaigns, Keagan Dolly fell down the pecking order at Montpellier as his 2020/21 season saw him on the periphery of the squad.
In the 21 appearances he made across all competitions, he only had three starts with a return of one assist.
At 28, Dolly still has his best years ahead of him and is now on the lookout for a new club in Europe after the birth of his first child, which draws an end to his four-year stint at the Ligue 1 club.
Luther Singh Paços de Ferreira (loan), Portugal
The 23-year-old forward was sent on his third consecutive loan to a Primeira Liga rival but this time with Paços – where he ended up becoming an influential figure.
His five goals and as many assists in 29 league games were perhaps not the figures which his undeniable talent is capable of but he received valuable first-team experience which bodes well for his international football aspirations.
Their fifth-place finish also qualified them for the newly-formed UEFA Conference League, while his parent club Sporting Braga finished in fourth and will play in the Europa League next season.
Gift Links AGF Aarhus, Denmark
Gift Links’ career trajectory reached new heights this past season as he finally got to grips with the physical demands of the Danish Superliga in his second full season.
With 35 games across all competitions under his belt, the 22-year-old winger produced several dynamic displays that suggested his potential could exceed the standard of the Danish top-flight.
Five goals and four assists, as well as helping them qualify for the UEFA Conference League next season, has no doubt seen his stock rise further, with scouts said to be keeping an eye on the rapid progression he’s enjoyed since leaving Cape Town City in a club-record sale.
Thulani Serero Al Jazira, United Arab Emirates
Thulani Serero’s time may be coming to an end with the national team but the unique talent and enigmatic figure proved why he’s one of the most underrated players of the last decade.
Often overlooked for an important role in the national team, ‘Cream’ won the best foreign midfielder award in the Arabian Gulf League as his side won the league title.
The deep-lying playmaker developed into the heartbeat of the squad under the tutelage of former AFC Ajax boss Marcel Keizer as they qualified for next season’s AFC Champions League. The 31-year-old also chipped in with three assists in his 25 league games for the Emirati outfit.
Ayanda Patosi Foolad FC, Iran
Another player criminally underused by the national team displayed his talents in the Middle East with Iranian side Foolad.
Ayanda Patosi, 28, thrived in his number 10 role and was one of their standout performers in the Asian Champions League group stages.
At the time of publishing, Patosi racked up five goals and registered four assists in 29 games in all competitions and developed as the club’s source of creativity for most of the campaign.
Lebo Mothiba RC Strasbourg, France
A season to forget for the Bafana Bafana striker as injury robbed him from the entire 2020/21 campaign after undergoing surgery on his knee.
The Ligue 1 club opted not to risk Lebo Mothiba in the latter stages of the campaign after he returned to first-team training but he will now be aiming to improve on the 14 goals
and six assists in the 59 games he’s played for the club since €4-million transfer from champions LOSC Lille.
The 25-year-old was on the radar of Premier League club Watford before his long-term injury and is still considered an important member of the French top-flight club despite his long spell on the sidelines.
Thibang Phete Belenenses SAD, Portugal
It was a season to savour for ‘Cafu’, who has endured hardships in Portugal over the past few years that would have cracked most local talents to return to Mzansi.
However, his decision to remain there and fight for his career was vindicated, albeit in a rather strange way. After three years with Vitória Guimarães, Phete was ready to stabilise his career and enjoy some first-team football, joining the ambitious club Famalicão on a free transfer last year, but was later loaned to domestic rivals Belenenses.
Over the past 12 months, he’s emerged as one of the first names on the team sheet, which earned him a permanent move.
He made his Bafana Bafana debut through this incredible run of form and is now expected to form part of the new-look national team under Broos.
Standing at 1.87m tall, he racked up 28 appearances in all competitions, scoring one goal and registering as many assists featuring as a ball-playing defender in a back three and as a defensive midfielder alongside compatriot Sphephelo Sithole.
Kamohelo Mokotjo FC Cincinnati, USA
Another midfield talent that perhaps will not see himself in national team colours again with life in Major League Soccer not going quite to plan.
At 30, Kamohelo Mokotjo opted for a move to secure his financial future with a new project under Dutch legend Jaap Stam and general manager Gerard Nijkamp, who played a role in his development in the Netherlands.
It’s not been plain sailing though following his move from English club Brentford, with just 12 appearances to his name since his arrival on a free transfer in August 2020.
Dino Ndlovu Zhejiang FC, China
Another player at the peak of his powers, Dino Ndlovu had made no secret that he goes ‘wherever the money is’, but his goalscoring record speaks for itself.
His six goals in 16 games before the season was interrupted by the global pandemic saw him become the all-time record scorer for the Chinese League One club with 42 goals in 67 games. He’s now signed a contract with Turkish second-tier side Kocaelispor.
Sphephelo Sithole Belenenses SAD, Portugal
A breakout season for ‘Yaya’ at the age of 22, which was made easier by the presence of ‘Cafu’ at the Portuguese top-flight club.
Touted as the ‘next OJ Mabizela’ when he first left South Africa for a move to Sporting Lisbon via the KZN Academy at 17, it took a while for Sithole’s talents to be seen on the big stage.
But his technical ability, added to his sheer athleticism, has now earned him comparisons to Portugal midfielder William Carvalho by local media.
After just 28 first-team games, French league champions LOSC Lille are believed to be among the host of interested suitors as he looks primed to become the next Bafana star.
Darren Smith FC Honka, Finland
The 25-year-old striker may not be a household name in South African football but the graduate from the now-defunct Ajax Cape Town academy is fast becoming one in Finland.
Having struggled to find a club in the National First Division, a trial in Scandinavia saw him sign for second-tier side Ekenäs IF, where he then won the Ykkönen Golden Boot and the league’s best player alongside Ayabulela Konqobe.
While the former South Africa Under-20 captain returned home with Chippa United, Smith’s 21 goals and four assists in 27 games earned him a move to top-flight side Honka.
And in his first 12 games for the club, he’s netted four times, while adding a further four assists as his meteoric rise continues.
Lars Veldwijk Suwon FC, South Korea
After firing Suwon to promotion, Veldwijk has continued to display his predatory instincts in front of goal in the K-League.
Six goals and three assists in 14 starts has seen him give national team coach Hugo Broos something to think about as the targetman option, which is quite rare in South African football.
Just two touches in five minutes during trials he never wanted to attend was all it took for Kaizer Chiefs to sign Justice Sithole. His rise at Naturena went so fast that within two years of writing his Matric exams, he had won the African Cup Winners’ Cup with the AmaKhosi. The former youth international spoke to KICK OFF’s Lovemore Moyo.
Back in the 1980s and 90s, it was normal for a kid growing up anywhere in South Africa to dream of playing for Kaizer Chiefs. But Justice Sithole never imagined in his wildest fantasies that he would be worthy of being considered for Chiefs, despite being plucked from the amateur ranks back home in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal to Naturena at the turn of the new millennium.
“Me ever dreaming of being good enough to play for Chiefs? It never happened,” he laughs.
Sithole had been famous for being a top sprinter in his teenage years while at school and only played football part-time for local amateur club Newcastle Osima.
Yet, when Chiefs conducted trials in his hometown, he found himself selected. It came as a surprise even to him as he only arrived just as the trials were about to finish for the day.
“Chiefs came down to Newcastle to scout for players and it was towards the end of the athletics season,” Sithole recalls. “So, on the day I went for the trials, I first had to compete in the final of the 100-metres and 200-metres for the provincial championships. I then rushed to the trials at around 15h00 in the afternoon.
“I arrived there with only 10 minutes of the last game remaining. The trials were announced on Monday, and I only knew about them from my Mom the next day, but I wasn’t really interested because Chiefs was too big a team for me.
“I thought Chiefs is a stage way too high for me so that is why I never even took these trials to heart. I just told myself that I don’t belong there, which is why I went to athletics first because that is where I thought I have a better chance.
“My Mom was the one who was actually pushing me to go for these trials, which is why she even bought me boots after I gave her excuses as to why I could not go. Being someone who works, she had never seen me playing football.
“But she got reports from people that I could play, and she went with it. I only went for trials so that I didn’t disappoint her, which is why I arrived with 10 minutes remaining, using the first five to change and the other five I was on the field.
“After that game I told myself that this is over and I’m going home, only for Screamer Tshabalala to call me aside afterwards and tell me that they are going back with me to Johannesburg.
“My Dad refused as I still had exams to write since I was in Grade 12 at the time. To cut a long story short, my opportunity to go to
Chiefs came because of the two touches that I had in five minutes,” he reveals.
Earning R9,000 per month
This was in 1999 and the week after the trials were done, Chiefs officials returned with a contract that was signed by his parents for a whopping salary of R9,000.
“I was already on the Chiefs payroll for some months before I even set foot there since I had to write my exams first. I didn’t even have an account by then so my salary of R9,000 would go into my mother’s account.
“That was a huge amount considering
“I WASN’T REALLY INTERESTED BECAUSE CHIEFS WAS TOO BIG A TEAM FOR ME.”
that all I had known before was just R50 at best. I didn’t know a thing about money at the time, so my Mom was in charge. I only started handling my finances after I had left Newcastle,” discloses Sithole.
Arriving at Chiefs in November 1999, he trained with the reserve team for two days before coach Muhsin Ertugral requested that he come to the first team, where he suddenly had Brian Baloyi, Doctor Khumalo, Thabo Mooki and Arthur Zwane as teammates.
Through that period, he now had to take
residence at a hotel in the Johannesburg CBD. It was a lot of change to handle for a teenager from the modest township of Madadeni.
“I had only ever been to Gauteng to play junior tournaments, so it was stunning to get there and find big name players that I had watched on television like Doc, Brian and Mooki. It was such a surprise and a shock that it even became a strange environment for me.
“But with the team and players being professional, they helped me, and I didn’t get a feel of all this talk that when you are coming from another province, the players from Jozi will treat you bad. In my case that was never the case, which is why it was easy for me to settle.
“I stayed at the White House hotel with other players coming from other places who were new at the club, like Simba Marumo and the late Lesley Manyathela. I think I was the reason Simba didn’t sign for Chiefs.
“At the time Chiefs needed a replacement for Bhele [Siyabonga Nomvethe] and in my case I arrived having already signed, while I don’t think management were so convinced about Simba,” he remembers.
Medals galore
Sithole would make his debut in the 2000/01 season, scoring his first goal against Wits University as Chiefs finished second in one of the rare campaigns at the turn of the century where they failed to win silverware.
It didn’t take long for Amajita selectors to take notice as well with call-ups that led to him playing in the COSAFA Under-20 Championships and the African Youth Championships.
The following season the world was at his feet.
Within a blink of the eye, Sithole had won the BP Top Eight, Coca-Cola Cup and the African Cup Winners Cup during ‘Operation Vat Alles’. Chiefs were also named the African Club of the Year.
“My career started off with amazing energy because I was already at Chiefs winning trophies so early and within a short time, had won so much. I didn’t realise all of these achievements back then because all that mattered to me was playing football and winning matches, without really caring what I had won.
“It has only been now in retirement that I have begun to understand what I won in football. It was the same in the junior
national teams where my mentality was just to represent the country without even counting the caps. Some players go through all of their careers without winning anything, but I had medals so quick.
“The plus is that for all the medals I got at Chiefs, I was getting minutes. I even started that Cup Winners Cup final at Ellis Park. I could have played more at Chiefs had it not been for the constant junior national team call-ups.
“Those call-ups made it difficult for me to settle at Chiefs the way I wanted because every second week I was away with the Under-20s. I arrived at Chiefs as a striker, number nine, but being the type of player that I was, I could play anywhere upfront, which is why (coach Augusto) Palacios played me wide in the national team.”
‘I have never been one for the limelight’
Having left Newcastle as a teenager, his visits back home were now being treated with a red carpet.
“Newcastle is a tiny place, although it has produced its fair share of big players, so I was acknowledged as one of those and became some sort of a celebrity, though I never let it go to my head.
“I have never been one for the limelight, I was never a party animal because I didn’t drink. Plus, those days there was no social media to show off your achievements like they do now. The senior players’ influence also rubbed off on us because we saw how they went about their business.
“If Doctor celebrated winning a medal for one month, then I would also have that same mindset, but they never did such things. Once it was game over, it was time to move to the next.
“I am now a reflection of what they were because they were a positive influence, not only on our football but our lives as well. The senior players always took the lead at training, get the job done and then leave, which is why they never became friends with us.
“They demanded that we up our game to their levels or even better, which is why when they ran at training. You knew you had to compete and do better, unlike nowadays where younger players always feel they are better.
“Maybe it is because of all the money in the game nowadays where they just earn enough to buy a car and a house before they have even played, just because of the agent and not because of what they have done on the field,” he says.
With his game-time count at Chiefs dwindling, it became evident that he needed to move and so left on loan to Black Leopards at the beginning of the 2003/04 season along with Kelvin Mushangazhike.
Though his stay up north had a sparkle on the field, he never settled in Limpopo, which is why he couldn’t manage longer than a season.
The end of his loan at Leopards coincided with the expiry of his contract at Chiefs and he then moved on to Lamontville Golden Arrows.
“It is never easy to leave Chiefs and every player can attest to that but then in my case I needed to play more football than I had done the previous season. At Leopards, with regards to football it was fine because I played and scored goals, but my issue was that my health was affected by the heat there.
“The travelling was a lot because I was not always in Venda due to my commitments with the Under-23s. After Leopards I could have returned to Chiefs because Ted Dumitru was keen, but I valued game time more and that is why Rocky [Madlala] won me over and I went to Arrows, a club from my home province. Leopards wanted to give me a contract but there was no way I would have stayed there.
“Arrows suited me because I was familiar with Durban, plus I was already an established player at the time, so it was easier for me to fit in. Over time at Arrows there was a change of coaches with Simon Ngomane leaving and Khabo Zondo taking over, and having his own players that he preferred.
“I wasn’t judged for what I could do but rather my status, just because I had come from Chiefs. I have never been one to fight coaches so that is why I left for Durban Stars on loan,” he explains.
‘Igesund was stubborn’
From there he won promotion with Maritzburg United in the 2007/08 season, but his career was beginning to sink into the National First Division with stints at FC AK, African Warriors, Chippa United and FC Cape Town in between a second stint with The Team of Choice after, which he retired five years ago.
“At FC AK I just took it as a place where I could train because we never received our salaries. Even though I then went back to Maritzburg, I found Gordon Igesund stubborn in what he wanted to do there. I wasn’t a kid anymore but in Gordon’s eyes I was still a youngster, which is not what he believes in.
“His words to me were that I wasn’t experienced enough for him, but I have no idea what experience Gordon wanted when I had been around for so long and won a trophy in Africa,” he says.
Since calling it quits, Sithole, who is now 40 and married with a 12-year-old daughter, bought the franchise of SAB League club Khananits and renamed them Newcastle Warriors.
He is also involved in his family business which deals with logistics and is settled in Newcastle.
“I decided to retire because I couldn’t understand the kind of coaching that I was now getting. For now, I am involved in the family business while I am the owner of Newcastle Warriors, a team that I bought from my own pocket.
“We had no players, so it was more like a team started from scratch and we have no sponsors whatsoever.
“Life in retirement is still the same for me because I was never extravagant. Nothing has changed for me. I never drank alcohol, and I still don’t. I have never had a busy lifestyle and I still don’t.
“I was never in the papers for any wrong reasons. All my life I have been easy, so I think this is what helped a lot. Whatever it is that I want to do I can still do the same way it used to be when I was playing. The plus for me is that my family is here with me, so I am OK,” he says.
“I ONLY WENT FOR TRIALS SO THAT I DIDN’T DISAPPOINT HER.”