Having had a proper taste of football abroad, Dino Ndlovu would have loved to have seen Themba Zwane showcase his talent outside the borders of South Africa and believes the Mamelodi Sundowns captain could have made it.
Zwane, who is currently recovering from an Achilles injury he sustained while on national team duty, is one of the country's most successful players, winning everything there is to win, domestically with Sundowns, as well as continental glory such as the CAF Champions League, Super Cup and African Football League titles. Add a third place finish at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Ivory Coast earlier this year and Zwane is right up there with the greats of South African football.
READ: Pirates Pushing To Sign Sundowns Target?
At 35, the only thing missing for Zwane is a stint abroad but Ndlovu does not think it takes away from the incredible career the midfielder has had.
"To be honest, I am one person who believes in fate. If it's not your fate for you to go overseas and prosper that side, then God has another plan. Players like Itumeleng Khune and Teko Modise never went overseas, but they did well. Themba has done so well for himself. It's unfortunate that he did not go overseas to test himself and I think he would have done well. From what I have seen him doing in the PSL and at a major tournament like AFCON, for me it's amazing," Ndlovu said to the Siya crew.
"These are the type of players we will see once in like five or 10 years. I think we need to give him his flowers and enjoy his last years in football because he is amazing to watch.
Zwane will be missing when Bafana take on Uganda and South Sudan in the final two 2025 AFCON qualifiers during the current international break. The national team has made a lot of progress under the tutelage of Hugo Broos and Ndlovu has been impressed with the work the Belgian has done since taking over.
READ: PSL Club Places Ramovic On List Of Targets?
"When Hugo Broos came, a lot of people judged him. I reserved my comments because I could not judge a coach I don't know. But from his previous work at Cameroon, he changed a lot. I am happy that the national team is going in a different direction and that direction is a positive one. Let's just support the coach and the technical team because he's done a splendid job. We can see by the results and how far we have gone. We are not going backwards. Credit to the coach, he has done a good job. He's giving everyone a chance, mostly young players, and that's what's needed."
By Tshepang Mailwane
Follow him here on X
