“It is exciting times for South African football, and we can only wish for more teams to venture into such projects.”
These are the words uttered by former SA youth coach David Notoane as he explained how Bafana Bafana will benefit from Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates’ European tours.
Sundowns, a club where Notoane is a development coach, recently embarked on a pre-season trip to the Netherlands while Orlando Pirates headed to Spain. Both DStv Premiership sides had successful tours.
Bucs played three encounters against European sides, winning two and drawing one. They registered back-to-back wins against Maccabi Tel Aviv [1-0] and Independiente del Valle [1-3] before being held to a 1-1 stalemate by La Liga side UD Las Palmas.
In the Netherlands, the Tshwane giants were also unbeaten in four matches. They played out a 2-2 draw with Gent before edging Go Ahead Eagles 1-0. In addition, Mamelodi Sundowns thrashed Sparta Rotterdam 4-1 and ended their tour with a 2-1 win over NAC Breda.
On the other hand, Kaizer Chiefs, who complete the ‘big three’ of SA football, went to Tanzania and Botswana to play two friendlies against Young Africans and Township Rollers. Chiefs lost both games with a 1-0 scoreline to wrap up their African tour.
NOTOANE URGES PSL TEAMS TO TOUR EUROPE
Notoane has urged more PSL teams to follow in the footsteps of Sundowns and Pirates as European tours will help Bafana Bafana players deal with stage fright better.
It is also worth noting that TS Galaxy also went on a tour to Turkey last season in December during the FIFA international break for the Qatar World Cup.
Galaxy locked horns against Turkish powerhouses like Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, with the club’s boss Tim Sukazi stating that it is important for SA players to be exposed to Europe’s football culture.
“We went to Holland because we are a global brand. And the players had to be exposed to that level of competition,” said Notoane. “So by the time we go to the club World Cup, the Super Cup, the players have already had the taste that they can do it.”
Notoane also referenced the friendly match where Bafana got humiliated by France 5-0 with the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Antoine Griezmann, N’Golo Kanté and Olivier Giroud in the thick of things.
One of the Bafana Bafana players, Lyle Lakay, even admitted that they got stage fright and were star-struck by the ex-World Champions. Notoane said European tours by PSL teams can help handle games against top nations with big-name players better.
BAFANA CAN LEARN HOW to deal with stage fright
“I’m happy that Orlando Pirates also went to Spain [for pre-season],” added Notoane. “I think for the national team, these kinds of tours are very important for the players to draw confidence. This is so that the day they come and play against big nations such as Spain and England, it is not something that baffles them.
“We saw when Bafana played against France. For some, it was a new experience, a first-time exposure to play against your Mbappe’s.
“So I think it is an exciting time for South African football. And we can only wish for more teams to venture into such projects to prepare for the season and expose South African football out there to the world.”
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