It was a mistake to come back home
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scored four goals.
It’s an intriguing partnership between Nomvethe (34), who has amassed 79 caps and 16 goals in a 14-year international career, and the enigmatic Mphela that will be crucial to unlocking the Ethiopian defence.
Nomvethe scored seven goals in his last four games as Moroka Swallows pushed Orlando Pirates close in the Absa Premiership title race. Mphela netted just one goal in a torrid second half of the season for Mamelodi Sundowns, but has been known to produce the goods for Bafana regardless of club form.
The pair last started a match together at the
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Bafana are minus a few key players. Siyabonga Sangweni was
goal is crucial for us, and it would be nice if it was early.” KERMIT Erasmus says his biggest regret was coming back to play in South Africa after beginning to make headway in Europe, and that he would gladly head back north should the opportunity arise.
The SuperSport United forward says it was poor management that resulted in his return to the Absa Premiership.
The winger had a strong finish in the past season that culminated in a starring role that earned him a Nedbank Cup winner’s medal in last weekend s 2-0 final win against
’ Mamelodi Sundowns.
The 21-year-old said he was disappointed when SuperSport turned down an offer from Hungarian club Videoton before last season.
“I know SuperSport also look at the financial side, but for me it’s more about my career. People might not know who Videoton are, but I can tell you they’re on a higher level than SA,” Erasmus said from his holidays in native Port Elizabeth.
“They are coached by former Portugal and Juventus player Paolo Sousa. He said he wanted me to come there because he believed he could improve my game.”
The 1.71m striker-cum-winger says the perception in SA that he returned from Holland because he did not make the grade mentally is incorrect.
Erasmus, spotted by the SuperSport/Feyenoord academy playing for the Eastern Cape at an inter-regional tournament in Cape Town, joined Feyenoord as a 17-year-old after some eye-catching performances for the SuperSport first team.
He was loaned to satellite club Excelsior Rotterdam, where he played 30 out of 36 games in 2009-10, scoring 11 goals.
Erasmus disputes that he went to Europe too young.
“I think the younger you go the better. My biggest regret was to come back. Because it’s difficult to get to Europe but once you do it’s easier to stay there.”
The striker scored four goals in three games in the 2009 U20 World Cup in Egypt before his promising season at Excelsior.
“I think I played my best football in my career at Excelsior. I just felt the people managing me at the time weren t doing enough to find me a
’ team.
“On holiday in PE, my agent told me Feyenoord wanted to end my contract because they were in financial trouble and there had been an offer from SuperSport. Excelsior coach Alex Pastoor was furious because he didn’t know I was going. ”
Should Erasmus stay at SuperSport, who can exercise a two-year option on his contract, he will look to build on an impressive finish to the season where his and Sibusiso Zuma’s creative skills helped Gavin Hunt’s team rediscover a touch in front of goal that had left them after Christmas.