Luther Singh makes honest admission after long-awaited Bafana return

Bafana Bafana forward Luther Singh has made an honest admission after returning to the national team fold ahead of the crucial 2027 Africa Cup Of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers later this month.

The 29-year-old attacker made his international debut in March 2017 in a friendly match against Angola, and last featured for the South African national team in September 2021 during the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe.

He was, therefore, not part of the squad that finished third in the 2023 AFCON, including the Bafana team that partook in the subsequent continental showpiece in Morocco, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by USA, Mexico, and Canada.

Having earned his first Bafana call-up in five years, thanks to new head coach Pitso Mosimane, singh admits the team has been stacked with quality in the past few years, making it hard to break into the squad.

“Honestly speaking also we need to look and be honest and realistic - the past few years the national team has been doing very well. The players that were there represented the country very good, so we need to also see this and be realistic,” he acknowledged.

"But for me, on my side personally, it just motivated me to keep going and keep believing, and I had the hope and belief that one day maybe I will get the chance again, and it happened.

"Thank God it happened and I'm just grateful, like you said, [working] with the coach as well. So, I'm just looking forward to start the camp, to work with him, and I know that great things will come for sure.

The AEL Limassol frontman is expecting smooth and swift integration in the national team set-up, having shared a locker room with a host of players in the current squad at junior international level.

“Yeah, many players I've played with them before, I know everyone in the team, so it's easier also to come in because we've shared a dressing with many players before. And I know the quality of the players and I know how they play as well,” Singh added.

"So, it's good to come into an environment where you know you've been a part before, and the culture obviously is the same in the national team. So, for me it's always nice to be back with them and all the memories come back of things we have done before.

"But now we to look forward and we try to achieve bigger things and greater things.

South Africa will entertain Guinea at the Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday, 26 September, before battling with Eritea at a neutral venue in Cairo, where they are set to lock horns with Egypt in a friendly match on 04 October.

Hlayisani Magoro

Editorfr, en

Football journalist from South Africa covering African football news, exclusive stories and key events while sharing insights with passionate fans of the game.

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