Inacio Miguel on why Angolan players are joining PSL clubs in numbers
Kaizer Chiefs’ recent acquisition, Inacio Miguel, has revealed the reasons behind the growing trend of Angolan players joining PSL clubs.
Three weeks ago, Miguel left the Angolan powerhouse Petro de Luanda to join the Soweto giants as he was seeking a ‘new challenge’.
The Angolan centre-back has settled in very well at Naturena, having already made his official debut for the Nasreddine Nabi-coached side on Saturday, 14 September, when they beat Marumo Gallants 2-1 in a Betway Premiership clash at Toyota Stadium. He is the first Angolan footballer to play Chiefs.
He is among the seven new signings that Amakhosi have made thus far, including the likes of Fiacre Ntwari, Rushwin Dortley, Bongani Sam, Gaston Sirino, Njabulo Blom and Bradley Cross.
The SA elite league is currently experiencing a modest number of Angolan players joining the league, including the likes of Carlinhos of Cape Town City FC, Gilberto of Orlando Pirates and Miguel himself.
Despite the three players mentioned above, there are other Angolan players who have graced the PSL scenes before. One can mention players like Hugo Marques and Jo Paciencia [Cape Town City FC], Jose De Oliveira and Jose Pereira [SuperSport United], Amardo [Hellenic], and Antonio Correia [Ajax Cape Town].
INACIO MIGUEL ON WHAT ATTRACTS ANGOLAN PLAYERS TO JOIN PSL
Miguel made a bold claim that the South African elite league is one of the best leagues in Africa, citing that the standard of football in Mzansi is top-notch.
He went on to state that they have good leagues in North Africa, but the Betway Premiership is the one.
“I think people don’t understand how good the level of football is in South Africa, you know,” said Miguel.
“For us, in Angola, we see this league as one of the most competitive leagues, with lots of good teams fighting for first place. This is what motivates us to come here because we know that this a league that is competitive and gives us improvement and progress for the future.
“So, we decided to come here because it can help us to grow as a footballer and as individuals career-wise.”
INACIO MIGUEL ON HIS FELLOW COUNTRYMAN GILBERTO
Miguel also revealed that Gilberto is a good friend and a brother to him and noted that maybe he also joined Pirates because of the level of football in the country.
“He is a very good friend of mine and a brother to me. He also just came here this year. I think he was also motivated by the project of Orlando Pirates maybe but I don’t know, I will talk with him later to understand,” he added.
“But as I said, we see South Africa as a very good league with very good teams and very good conditions for us to grow as players. For me, it’s the best league in Africa. We have good leagues in North Africa, but the Betway Premiership is for me the best.”
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