Having declared his eligibility to represent Bafana Bafana more than six months ago, Dutch-born striker Simon van Duivenbooden is facing an overwhelming number of problems as he has failed to score in 10 matches while his club Vitesse sink deeper into relegation.
In June 2024, it was confirmed that Van Duivenbooden had attained a South African passport at Home Affairs, making him eligible to represent Bafana Bafana at the international level.
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The 22-year-old was born in the Netherlands to a South African father, with some members of his family also said to reside in Mzansi.
A product of the PSV academy, the centre-forward received a maiden call-up to the national team when Hugo Broos named him in his preliminary squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in September 2025 against Uganda and South Sudan.
Ultimately, Van Duivenbooden was not included in the final squad.
His fortunes at Vitesse have since taken a downward spiral, as the club now sit rock-bottom of the Dutch second tier with minus five points, despite registering five wins, seven draws, and 12 defeats in 24 league games.
Vitesse were relegated from the Eredivisie in April 2024 after they were handed an 18-point deduction by the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) due to repeated failures to meet licensing regulations. The points deduction is the reason the club sit with a negative points tally.
In addition to Vitesse's turmoil on and off the pitch, Van Duivenbooden has endured a vastly underwhelming campaign, as he has zero goals in 10 matches in all competitions so far.
The marksman has been an unused substitute in 11 matches, come off the bench three times, and has only started seven games, according to Transfermarkt.
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By Lukhanyo Mtuta
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