[ad_1]
Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana’s star players Percy Tau and Thembi Kgatlana are desperate to return home from abroad amid the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic that has forced most countries in the world to crash.
The two foreign players asked Safa to help them get home, Dominic Chimhavi, the association’s head of communications, told City Press on Friday.
“Since the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, we have approached most of our overseas players, male and female, to find out what their intent was.
“We did this at the time the government repatriated South Africans who were stranded abroad [in March].
“So far, Percy and Thembi have said they want to go home and we are doing everything we can to help them,” Chimhavi said, adding that Safa was in contact with the sports department to kick-start the process. This is especially difficult. Most international flights have landed and borders closed.
Tau is among a sizeable group of foreign players from South Africa whose leagues have been decided, including in France, where Keagan Dolly, Bongani Zungu, Lebogang Phiri and Lebogang Mothiba play.
So far Percy and Thembi have said they want to go home and we are doing everything we can to help them,
Dominic Chimhavi, head of communications for Safa
Tau, who had a one-season loan at Club Brugge in Belgium, had been confined to the European country for more than a month since his team was declared league champion in a campaign that was halted prematurely.
Belgium was the first country to make the difficult decision to cancel the 2019/20 season in the wake of the pandemic.
Bruges had a 15-point lead over KAA Gent in the 16-team Jupiler Pro League, with just one round of matches to end the season.
Tau made 30 appearances in all competitions this season, including valuable playing time in Europe’s elite club competitions – the Uefa Champions League and the Europa League.
Thembi Kgatlana is trapped in Portugal. Image: Sydney Mahlangu / BackpagePix
Tau spent the past 18 months on loan in Belgium after failing to meet UK work permit requirements.
He left Mamelodi Sundowns in June 2018 to join Brighton on a four-year South African contract for more than R50 million.
Tau turns 26 on Thursday and is probably looking forward to celebrating her birthday at home.
Meanwhile, Randfontein’s Kgatlana at West Rand has been idle in Portugal since the leagues were forced to stop playing indefinitely in mid-March.
The 24-year-old Banyana forward joined SL Benfica in January and her team jointly led the 12-team league with Sporting CP after 15 games.
City Press’s attempts to contact the players were unsuccessful.
 |
|
