Image: Pitso Mosimane
Pitso Mosimane, former coach of Bafana Bafana, has discussed why European clubs prefer to recruit Nigerian players over South Africans, according to Soccernet.ng.
Mosimane's comments come after a challenging season for South African forward Lyle Foster at Burnley, who played only 26 Premier League games. While South African players, like those from the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations winning squad, once made significant impacts in England, recent prominent players like Percy Tau have struggled to replicate such success, leading to European clubs' hesitance.
In contrast, Nigerian players have excelled in Europe, with stars such as Victor Osimhen (Napoli), Ademola Lookman (Atalanta), and Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen) performing admirably. Mosimane highlighted the need for South African players to meet the specific criteria of European teams.
He referenced John Barnes' assessment that, although South Africa has talented players, they often lack the qualities needed for the English Premier League, unlike West African players. Mosimane said, “We need to have the right product and the right players. Did you hear what John Barnes said about South African players? He said, 'We have players, but we don’t easily have the right type of player for the English Premier League, but West Africa has that type of player for the Premier League.'”
Mosimane noted that Nigerian players match market demands, which explains their success at top clubs like AC Milan and Napoli. He remarked, “Watch the Nigerian team play South Africa; where is that flair or whatever? But those guys are playing for AC Milan and Napoli. Why is that? It’s because you must have the right product for the right market."
Despite European clubs showing interest in South African players such as Teboho Mokoena and Khuliso Mudau, no significant transfers have occurred. Meanwhile, Nigerian forwards like Victor Boniface, Victor Osimhen, and Ademola Lookman are attracting interest from top European teams, including Juventus, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Manchester United.