A former PSL coach believes that Bafana Bafana is starting to reap the benefits of having South African players participate in inter-club football.
Bafana bagged six points in the latest round of 2026 World Cup qualifiers, beating Lesotho and Benin, and one of the standout performers was Siyabonga Ngezana, whose profile continues to grow at an incredible rate.
He reached the Last 16 of the UEFA Europa League with Romanian side FCSB, eventually succumbing to Lyon.
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"What's nice about Bafana Bafana players is that they now know how to manage a match," says Mlungisi Ngubane, the one-time dribbling wizard.
"You can see a growth in the players since most of them are playing in Champions League competitions or abroad. This experience has been beneficial, making it difficult for opposition teams to play against us.
"Having our players compete in inter-club competitions has really helped our national team.
"Nowadays, anyone can score for us. The reason even the new players at Bafana fit in so well is that they have exposure to the Champions League and the Confederation Cups.
"Playing in Europe has significantly improved Ngezana," he adds.
The man affectionately addressed as 'Professor' says the defender is no longer the same player who would panic when he saw the ball coming from a distance.
"He has become a solid player, leaving behind the old version of himself from Kaizer Chiefs. "Nowadays, Ngezana can read the game better, makes fewer mistakes, and is a different player overall.
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"Just recently, Ngezana played in the UEFA Europa League. Some of the teams in that competition had previously been eliminated from the UEFA Champions League after not progressing.
"His team qualified for the Europa League because they performed well in their domestic league."