Bafana Bafana legend Shaun Bartlett has explained how South African footballers like Relebohile Mofokeng, Thapelo Maseko and Aden McCarthy could be facing career-defining moments by playing in UEFA competitions.
Several Bafana Bafana stars will play in Europe this season. They include Mofokeng, Maseko, Mihlali Mayambela, McCarthy and Gift Links, whose clubs are in the league phases of different European competitions.
Following relegation from the UEFA Champions League, Relebohile Mofokeng’s Royale Union Saint-Gilloise are in the UEFA Europa League, where they will face the likes of La Liga sides Real Sociedad and Celta Vigo, as well as Lyon, Celtic and Besiktas.
Mayambela’s Omonia FC are in the same competition where their opponents include Juventus and Benfica. The only Bafana player in the Champions League is McCarthy, who will be on the same stage against the world’s biggest clubs.
The former Kaizer Chiefs defender’s Azerbaijani club, Sabah FK, faced Manchester United at Old Trafford during the week. They will clash with sides like Barcelona, English Premier League champions Arsenal, Borussia Dortmund, Villarreal and Napoli.
Bafana’s 2026 FIFA World Cup star Maseko will be in the UEFA Conference League with FC Copenhagen, and one of their opponents is SC Braga. Also in the Conference League will be Gift Links, whose Aarhus GF were eliminated from the Champions League by Sabah, and whose schedule now includes Braga, FC Twente and KAA Gent.
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In an interview with FARPost, Bartlett believes UEFA competitions present the Bafana stars with a platform to be watched by billions of fans and attract bigger clubs in Europe.
“In any league you play in Europe, you play against top-quality players. That also brings out the best in you, and it improves your quality,” Bartlett told FARPost.
“So, when you do come back to the national team, I think it will help the national team because you would also find yourself in as far as performance is concerned.
“It’s a matter of consistency. Professional football is all about consistency. The more often you can do it over regular time, the better you will improve, and we all know in return you put yourself on display where other clubs can see you.
“Whether you play in the Conference League or Europa League or Champions League, you are coming up against clubs where every club is looking to buy players. It’s a shop window where a lot of our players can find themselves moving quicker than they expected.”
BARTLETT’S OWN UEFA EXPERIENCE AND THE BIG EPL BREAKTHROUGH
While playing in Europe with FC Zurich, Bartlett attracted the attention of then-English Premier League side Charlton Athletic. He arrived in England with experience in the then-UEFA Cup, where he played the 1998/99 and 1999/2000 seasons with the Swiss giants.
The UEFA Cup adventure included scoring a brace against AS Roma in December 1998, facing legendary Italians Francesco Totti and Luigi Di Biagio. He then captained FC Zurich against an Alan Shearer-led Newcastle United in the same competition the following season.
“For me, I played in the old days; it was the UEFA Cup, and we played games in Scotland and Italy against Roma and Celtic. Those were massive teams those days, and I had some good games,” added Bartlett, who later turned out for Chiefs upon his return to the PSL.
“That’s how I could get to England because people saw me play on that platform. So, that’s the important part as far as travelling outside your own country is concerned with these cups, the Conference League and Europa League.
“You get to play in other countries. It’s not just the teams you play against; other teams also see you because 90 per cent of the games are broadcast, and everybody will see you play. Maybe you can add value to their team.”
WHAT ALL THIS MEANS FOR BAFANA BAFANA
Bafana Bafana are now under coach Pitso Mosimane, who returns to the national team as more South Africans play in UEFA competitions. However, in his plans for the upcoming 2027 AFCON qualifiers, Mosimane has no place for Mayambela, McCarthy and Links.
Mosimane’s predecessor, Hugo Broos, had Betway Premiership players dominating his squad, and they claimed bronze at the 2023 AFCON. The Belgian also reached the 2026 World Cup Round of 32 with a team mainly composed of Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates stars.
But Bartlett feels the national team could improve further if more players ply their trade in Europe and feature in UEFA competitions.
“I’ve got nothing against the Betway Premiership. It’s a good league, it’s one of the best in Africa. But we also have to realise that there are higher quality leagues around the world,” Bartlett continued.
“I always say if you have more players playing in those leagues, you come up against better quality players [overseas], which in return will make you better. You come back, and the national team will do better.
“In my opinion, that’s why the national team, when we played, we were 16th in the world, because we had players in Italy, Spain, and England playing regularly for top teams. That improves us as individuals.
“As an individual, you come back, and the national team will benefit by getting the best out of us for Bafana Bafana. I think it was clear in some way with the World Cup as well, the difference between our national team and teams that beat us.”
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