After Polokwane City winger Oswin Appollis almost quit football two-and-a-half seasons ago, the club's club head coach Phuti Mohafe has revealed how he got the player to be selected for Bafana Bafana.
Appollis is one of the most talked-about footballer in the PSL, especially after his breakthrough season at Polokwane City in 2023/24, where he was expected to make a move to a big club.
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Before the 23-year-old's career was revived by Kwanele Kopo at Pretoria Callies in the 2022/23 season, he was contemplating quitting football, after he was released by SuperSport United and rejected by other clubs.
The diminutive attacker managed to get the attention of Bafana head coach Hugo Broos during his first season at Rise and Shine, and Mohafe has opened up on what initially held Appollis back.
"I'm one of those people who doubted his ability. I also told him: 'Look, if you don't change... one, he had to change his attitude, the attitude of saying 'I want it more!' I want to be better than yesterday," Mohafe said on Metro FM Sports.
"If you put that into the player, he will work more. I told him, together with the technical team, that: 'Look, man, you deserve to go to the national team, but if you don't push yourself, you're not going to play for the national team.
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"And we told him: 'Look, son, now we're giving you the freedom to do what you want to do on the field', and he said: 'Okay, coach, I was afraid, so I will try to give my best'. That is when Appollis changed to be who is today, the player in the national team," Mohafe added.
Appollis will complete two full seasons at the club despite all the speculation about his potential transfer after the PSL registration window closed on Tuesday.