Bafana Bafana legend Andre Arendse has made a bold claim by suggesting that a PSL youngster has the potential to surpass the likes of Lucas Radebe’s achievements.
Radebe, who won the AFCON with Bafana Bafana in 1996 alongside Arendse, also led Leeds United in the English Premier League. In 2001, he captained Leeds United to the Champions League semi-finals, a remarkable feat for a player from South Africa.
Arendse, a respected figure in local football, is an assistant coach at SuperSport United. He has since backed a budding SuperSport defender to scale dizzy heights.
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“Ime Okon is the next one on that radar,” Arendse told journalists during a Nedbank Cup presser. Okon has been a standout for SuperSport since gaining promotion to the senior team earlier this season. His talent was recognised by Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos, who included him in the preliminary squad for the AFCON tournament.
Now, there’s speculation about Okon’s international future, with some wondering if he’ll choose South Africa or Nigeria.
“I don’t want to hype him up and put him up there and say he’s the best because he’s 20 years old, I think. “He’s a super talent, and I’m not even putting pressure on him because I know he can handle the pressure. He’s starting to prove it in games.
“We need to look after him. You spoke about dual citizenship. We better be careful that we don’t lose him because he’s [one for the future].
“I know what I’m talking about because I’ve had the privilege of playing behind some of the best defenders in South Africa. I don’t even need to mention names. You guys know who I’m talking about.”
In the AFCON 1996 final, Arendse guarded goals with Radebe, Mark Fish and Neil Tovey playing in defence.
“And I’m telling you now that in a few years, he’ll be up there or even better than those ones.”
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