With a long list of promising talents eligible to represent Bafana Bafana, here are five wonderkids South Africa could lose to foreign countries, including a Manchester United starlet.
There is an abundance of young players, who are eligible to represent Bafana in the future, rising through the ranks at various overseas clubs in countries such as England, France, Denmark, Norway, and Canada. We take a look at five of them!
Read: Six non-African stars having great seasons in Africa
Elyh Harrison - Manchester United
Elyh Harrison is one of the brightest talents in the United academy, and was even named in the senior team's squad for a game against Newport County in January. On Tuesday this week, he was in goal as the junior Red Devils won the U18 Premier League Cup in the final against Manchester City. The talented goalkeeper has South African citizenship, but he has worn England's youth colours throughout his burgeoning young career.
Adam Pearlman - Toronto FC
Former Mamelodi Sundowns star Cassius Mailula is surprisingly not the only South African who plays for Toronto FC – there is a young Johannesburg-born defender in the reserve side. Adam Pearlman is a highly-rated centre-back in Canada and has already represented the country's U20 national team. Bafana's hopes of convincing the youngster to choose them now seem slim, with the 19-year-old's first Canada U20 cap coming in February, when he made two appearances in the CONCACAF U-20 Championship qualifiers against St. Vincent as well as Trinidad and Tobago. With Canada being one of the hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, it wouldn't be impossible to see Pearlman being selected for the tournament if his rise continues steadily.
Get the latest soccer news and be ahead of the game. Follow our WhatsApp Channel via this link!
Alwande Roaldsoy - Molde FK
Another 19-year-old, Alwande Roaldsøy, now stars for Erling Haaland's former club Molde after he completed a move from Atalanta's U23 side in January. According to Transfermarkt, the transfer set the Norwegian club back €700 000 (R14.2 million), with the central midfielder signing a deal until December 2027. Born to a Norwegian dad and a South African mom, Roaldsoy has worn the Norway youth national team jersey through various age groups from U15 to the U21s. This season, he has already made four league appearances for Molde in the top flight.
Ayanda Sishuba - RC Lens
Born in Belgium to a South African father, Ayanda Sishuba has already appeared a few times for RC Lens' senior time despite being formally an U23 player for the club. The attacking midfielder has made five substitute appearances for the first team this season in Ligue 1 and the Coupe De France, while he has also been named on the bench seven times. Having played 10 games for the Belgium U19 team, scoring three goals, his trajectory seems to point at him representing the Red Devils instead of Bafana.
David Katlego Hansen - FC Copenhagen
The youngest inclusion on this list, David Katlego Hansen is just 17 years old, but the youngster is already in FC Copenhagen's U19 team. The teenager was born in South Africa but moved to Denmark with his adopted parents at a young age. In 2018, he joined FCK Youth, and in March this year, he was signed by the Copenhagen academy, where he plays as a fullback and a wing-back. According to Transfermarkt, his contract at the club will run until June 2026.
Read: Can Mokwena make same cry as Pep over fixture schedule?
A special mention goes to Ime Okona of SuperSport United, who has reportedly piqued the interest of Nigeria, given that he was born in Mzansi to a South African mom and a Nigerian dad.
Disclaimer: SNL24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of columnists published on SNL24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of SNL24.
You must be SIGNED IN to read and post comments.
WATCH: