Former Palmelense FC midfielder Simo Mbhele has set his sights on replicating his once remarkable form in Portugal, where he netted 12 goals. He is aiming for a repeat performance in the Betway Premiership.
Mbhele began his journey at the KZN Academy before moving to Portugal, where he played for teams such as Sertanese, 1 Dezembro, and Pinhalnovense.
However, his return to South Africa was not as smooth as expected. A long-drawn saga disrupted his transfer to Golden Arrows, limiting his participation in the PSL to eight games. At the time, reports indicated that the KZN Academy product was improperly registered when he returned to SA after the 2020/21 season to sign with Arrows.
This was due to the lack of an International Clearance Certificate from his former club in Portugal, Sociedade União 1º Dezembro.
Consequently, he played only eight games in the 2021/22 campaign and could not continue with Arrows, effectively ending his brief stint at the club during that season. Following this setback, he resurfaced at Venda FC in the Motsepe Foundation Championship.
WHAT IS HAPPENING TO SIMO MBHELE?
With his registration issues resolved, the 26-year-old is now a free agent after spending time in the lower divisions of SA football. The exciting attacking midfielder is eager to return to top-flight football and desires to play in the Betway Premiership next season.
“I moved to Portugal in January 2016,” he told FARPost. “My time there was a valuable experience. It was great because I learned a lot about the football culture, met new people, and embraced different cultures.”
In his first season, he appeared 22 times for Dezembro before moving on to Palmelense, where he played 36 matches and scored 12 goals during the 2018/19 season. His next two seasons in Portugal were with Sertanense and Pinhalnovense, where he played 24 games over two seasons.
“That [Palmelense in the 2018/19 season] was one of my best seasons as I finished as the top scorer while playing in midfield and played a lot of minutes,” he explained. He believes he scored many goals because he was “playing more of a free role in a three-man midfield.”
Mbhele said he had used the last two seasons to maintain his “match fitness and just to clear my head a bit.”
“I feel like if an opportunity presents itself, I’ll grab it with both hands because I feel like I’m now at a moment where I feel exactly like I did when I came back from Portugal and I’ve been playing regularly.”
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