Online Reporter
Sports Reporter
AHEAD of his first official visit to Rufaro, Thabo Senong has urged South African footballers to consider plying their trade in the Castle Lager Premiership.
Senong, the first high-profile South African coach to take charge of a domestic Premiership side, will lead FC Platinum into battle against champions Scottland at Rufaro today.
Senong says the narrative around the domestic Premiership was changing and there were opportunities for South African footballers here.
It’s a HUGE statement and confirms observations by many that a revolution has been unfolding in the domestic Premiership.
Senong told FARPost, an online football website based in South Africa, that local PSL clubs were now paying their players, and coaches, well.
The irony is that the club he faces today, Scottland, have been leading that crusade to change the face of the domestic Premiership by giving their players good salaries and packages.
This has helped the Mabvuku side to have the capacity to even recruit a decent player from Brazil.
Scottland are also set to host Nsingizini Hotspurs of Eswatini in a CAF Champions League tie at the National Sports Stadium on Sunday.
“For sure, the league is becoming a very good and interesting product,” Senong told FARPost.
“If you look at how clubs are taking care of players, that tells you a lot because the game belongs to the players.
“If we, as the leadership, as football administrators and the technical teams, take care of players, then it will attract players from everywhere.
“You look at the West Africans that are already coming in, the neighbouring countries around Zimbabwe, Malawi, and you have Eswatini players here as well.
“So I, for sure, have no doubt that soon even some South African players will be coming into the league because the league is becoming a very nice product.”
He added:
“I would urge players to open themselves up to opportunities outside the borders. If you get a chance to come to Zimbabwe, take it.
“The narrative that players are not taken care of here is changing. Clubs are now looking after players properly and the league is becoming a very good product.”
Nsingizini Hotspurs products Yekisizwe Khumalo, Thubelihle Mavuso, Neliswa Dlamini and Sambulo Simelane are already in Zimbabwe.
Several players from Malawi have also joined the league, while Botswana national team goalkeeper Victor James signed for CAPS United.
His Scottland counterpart, Nelson Chadya, has declared he will not rest until he has broken the PSL clean sheet record.
He is leading the Golden Glove race with 20 clean sheets in 27 league matches, having conceded only ten goals in the entire campaign.
He has matched the number of clean sheets made by Benard Donavon.
“My aim is to keep, as many possible clean sheets this season. I know it is difficult but we still have matches to play and barring injuries or suspensions, I know it’s doable,” said Chadya.
“All the credit goes to my teammates and my coaches who are always on the spot drilling us as a team and giving us all the guidance, on and off the field of play.
“It is my hope that I play my role distinctly and help my team achieve set objectives,” he said.
