Stellenbosch FC attacker Andre de Jong has explained the reason behind his rise at the club, directly comparing his successful stint with the Winelands side to his experiences at AmaZulu FC and Royal AM.
The 28-year-old arrived in South Africa in July 2019, joining Usuthu from the New Zealanders Eastern Suburbs.
He spent three years with the Durban-based club before moving to the now-defunct Royal AM, where he had a six-month spell prior to switching to Stellenbosch.
Football enthusiasts have seen a highly-improved De Jong at Stellies under the guidance of Steve Barker, with the attacking midfielder scoring 18 goals and registering nine assists in 87 matches.
He was instrumental in the club’s Carling Knockout Cup victory last season, CAF Confederation Cup semi-final run this campaign, and strong contention across all competitions in the past two seasons.
He says at AmaZulu he was still adapting to the league and was unfortunate to suffer injuries that plagued his progress, while he described his Royal AM stint as “tough”.
Meanwhile, De Jong attributed his good time at Stellies to the belief that the club’s technical team have had in him.
DE JONG ON HIS RISE AT STELLENBOSCH
“Now that I’ve been in South Africa for five years, it’s almost the experience [that’s behind my form], I think when I first came to AmaZulu and then Royal AM, I was still new in the league,” said de Jong.
“Obviously the strength and the pace of all the players is extremely high. I’ve sort of managed to grow my game. But also, at AmaZulu, I was a bit unlucky with injuries. I couldn’t get going. At one point, I had a six-month injury.
“And then Royal AM, I had a six-month [spell] there as well, tough, tough.
“I’ve done well at Stellenbosch, and the technical team believes in me, which is obviously what any footballer wants. I’m really enjoying my football here and it’s a great experience.”
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