SA Soccer Stars Currently Based Abroad In 2019
There are plenty of promising players in Europe who are either already Bafana Bafana internationals or eligible to play for them. In this article we feature some of the big name South African players currently plying their trade in the European or Asian leagues where they are showcasing their footballing talents and prowess whilst also cementing their financial legacy and status.
Percy Tau (Club Brugge)
Bafana Bafana forward Percy Tau is having a dream debut season in the Belgian topflight league as well as on the European club circuit where he has earned rear reviews.
Tau has mesmerised defences and dazzled when afforded the opportunity and chance to shine and illuminate the field.
He caught the eye at the Santiago Bernabeu and now takes his show to Old Trafford, the Theatre of Dreams where he will sincerely hopes his dreams of moving one step up the ladder to a lucrative and competitive league will come true.
But anyway, Brighton and Hove Albion who brought him to European shores might soon enforce or recall their player who has proved that he deserves to shine amongst the Big Boys.
The 2017/18 Absa Premiership Player of the Season has been hugely influential in the national team, also impressing hugely at club level scoring and assisting goals where his club currently lead the Belgian league standings.
Signed by Brighton & Hove Albion from Mamelodi Sundowns a year ago, Tau was forced by work permit issues to go on loan to second-tier Belgian club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise where he won the Proximus Player of the Season Award that earned himself a bigger loan move.
Based on current one of the European giants might be forced to come knocking and snap him up to feature in Europe’s Big 5 leagues.
Lebo Mothiba
Striker Lebo Mothiba features for French side RC Strasbourg . The 23-year-old striker has scored nine goals and registered three assists in 20 starts in the French top-flight this season.
Dino Ndlovu
The 29-year-old forward plays for Zhejiang Greentown in the China League One and for the South Africa national football team.
Ndlovu has kicked off where he left off in the Chinese League One last season, scoring seven goals in his first nine starts for Greentown.
He is definitely living the life as he sealed a huge money deal in the lucrative Chinese league.
Thulani Serero
One of the most talented footballers South Africa has produced in recent years, Thulani Serero had been producing standout performance for Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem in the Eredivisie but then decided on a big money move to the United Arab Emirates where he joined Al Jazira on a two-year deal.
Many critics and analysts considered the move as a career suicide motivated more by money than anything else because he was a regular at Vitesse where he played an instrumental role and was hugely impressive in his seven seasons in the Eredivisie.
At 29, the Soweto-born midfielder capped 37 times by Bafana Bafana still had a lot to offer European football, especially considering that he was once a hit in both the Uefa Champions League and Europa League and in the 2018/19 season, he was one of the Eredivisie’s most outstanding players .
Serero may have just bid farewell to his international career as countries that are not huge on football have less exposure for progress to be monitored week in an week out.
This however could be an issue related to poor player-monitoring on the side of Safa.
Serero might have decided to move swiftly to secure his financial future than stay in Europe for the sake of visibility.
Kamohelo Mokotjo
The defensive midfielder is putting up solid performances for English Premiership hopefuls and Championship side Brentford.
Mokotjo, 28, has played 17 of their 22 games in the English Championship this season.
Brentford will be aiming to make the promotion playoffs in the current 2019/20 season meaning there is great in store for the Bafana Bafana midfielder.
Bongani Zungu
The 27-year-old has played 12 of French side Amiens’ 17 league games in 2019/20 so far despite some injury niggles, is in his third season with the French outfit following a move from Portugal.
The former Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder has just over 18 months left on his contract with Amiens is currently attracting interest from Spain’s LaLiga side Espanyol but has endured a difficult 2019 as he battles with injury problems over the course of the year, playing just 15 games in all competitions for his club in France.
The 27-year-old had an impressive showing at the Africa Cup of Nations where he got two goals for South Africa in Egypt.
By Gerald Dandah
