The appointment of coach Pitso Mosimane has been a breath of fresh air for most South Africans, as it has not only sparked excitement about what the future looks like under his tutelage, but has also offered players like Luther Singh a second chance in the national team.
Mosimane brings with a wealth of experience, a winning mentality, character, and much nostalgia. He may be appear mellow in how he now engages with the media, but trust that Jingles will demand a lot from the players.
Singh, who is aware of this, will look to repay Mosimane for reintroducing him to those who may have forgotten about his qualities, and his ability to give his all on the pitch.
READ: The dawn of a new era with Mosimane at the helm
The last time the 29-year-old donned the national team jersey was back in September 2021, in a 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe. Since then, he has not had a sniff in the national team.
Mosimane, back in charge of Bafana 14 years later, has decided to ‘revolutionise’ the national team by giving so-called youngsters a chance and players, like Singh, who have performed well overseas but have never received a good opportunity to represent their country.
“I always believed and hoped the chance would come again. This is what I worked for every day, to put myself in this position,” Singh told the media during a press conference on Monday.
“I made sure I did my best, kept on playing, then you never know. In football, anything can change in six months. Every player wants to be part of the set-up, and I am just grateful for another opportunity, and for sure I want to grab it with both hands.”
Singh has spent his top-flight football career abroad, for 11 years. He moved to Swedish side GAIS in 2015 from Stars of Africa Academy in Port Elizabeth.
READ: Back Pitso and forget the Broos era, says Augusto Palacios
Despite his topsy-turvy 11 years in Europe, moving from club to club, Singh held his own and never gave up on his dream of representing his country once again.
“I keep going, and I can’t give up. It is not in my system. I am just grateful and honoured to have stayed in Europe as long as I have. You never know what the future brings,” he added.
Singh is currently plying his trade in Cyprus for Limassol, where he scored nine goals and provided seven assists in all competitions last season. So far in the new campaign, he already has a goal and an assist in four league appearances.
Shortly after unveiling his 30-man squad, Mosimane touched briefly on why he included Singh in his final team for the two crucial upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea.
“Luther Singh… I can say is our forgotten son. Have you seen him play? He is unbelievable and powerful on the wing,” Mosimane said.
“I have been following him, but that is our job as the technical team to track these players. We don’t just give call-ups to players. When you earn that call-up, just know that you have worked very hard, and we are watching.”
- The appointment of coach Pitso Mosimane has been a breath of fresh air for most South Africans, as it has not only sparked excitement about what the future looks like under his tutelage, but has also offered players like Luther Singh a second chance in the national team.
- Mosimane brings with a wealth of experience, a winning mentality, character, and much nostalgia.
- He may be appear mellow in how he now engages with the media, but trust that Jingles will demand a lot from the players.
- Singh, who is aware of this, will look to repay Mosimane for reintroducing him to those who may have forgotten about his qualities, and his ability to give his all on the pitch.
- READ: The dawn of a new era with Mosimane at the helm The last time the 29-year-old donned the national team jersey was back in September 2021, in a 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe.
The appointment of coach Pitso Mosimane has been a breath of fresh air for most South Africans, as it has not only sparked excitement about what the future looks like under his tutelage, but has also offered players like Luther Singh a second chance in the national team.
Mosimane brings with a wealth of experience, a winning mentality, character, and much nostalgia. He may be appear mellow in how he now engages with the media, but trust that Jingles will demand a lot from the players.
Singh, who is aware of this, will look to repay Mosimane for reintroducing him to those who may have forgotten about his qualities, and his ability to give his all on the pitch.
READ: The dawn of a new era with Mosimane at the helm
The last time the 29-year-old donned the national team jersey was back in September 2021, in a 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe. Since then, he has not had a sniff in the national team.
Mosimane, back in charge of Bafana 14 years later, has decided to ‘revolutionise’ the national team by giving so-called youngsters a chance and players, like Singh, who have performed well overseas but have never received a good opportunity to represent their country.
“I always believed and hoped the chance would come again. This is what I worked for every day, to put myself in this position,” Singh told the media during a press conference on Monday.
“I made sure I did my best, kept on playing, then you never know. In football, anything can change in six months. Every player wants to be part of the set-up, and I am just grateful for another opportunity, and for sure I want to grab it with both hands.”
Singh has spent his top-flight football career abroad, for 11 years. He moved to Swedish side GAIS in 2015 from Stars of Africa Academy in Port Elizabeth.
READ: Back Pitso and forget the Broos era, says Augusto Palacios
Despite his topsy-turvy 11 years in Europe, moving from club to club, Singh held his own and never gave up on his dream of representing his country once again.
“I keep going, and I can’t give up. It is not in my system. I am just grateful and honoured to have stayed in Europe as long as I have. You never know what the future brings,” he added.
Singh is currently plying his trade in Cyprus for Limassol, where he scored nine goals and provided seven assists in all competitions last season. So far in the new campaign, he already has a goal and an assist in four league appearances.
Shortly after unveiling his 30-man squad, Mosimane touched briefly on why he included Singh in his final team for the two crucial upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea.
“Luther Singh... I can say is our forgotten son. Have you seen him play? He is unbelievable and powerful on the wing,” Mosimane said.
“I have been following him, but that is our job as the technical team to track these players. We don’t just give call-ups to players. When you earn that call-up, just know that you have worked very hard, and we are watching.”
