Bafana Bafana midfielder Sphephelo ‘Yaya’ Sithole has revealed how his move in Europe was blocked but is hoping for the next step after an excellent 2023 Africa Cup of Nations showing.
Sithole, 24, made his debut for the South Africa national team against Morocco in September 2022 and provided an assist for Lyle Foster’s opener before the North Africans secured a 2-1 comeback win in Rabat.
It was a disappointing start for the former Sporting Lisbon and KZN Academy player who has been featuring prominently for B-SAD in the Primera Liga at the time and attracting interest from the Bundesliga and LOSC Lille.
The towering midfielder has since racked up 16 caps with Broos’ side only losing to Rwanda and Mali since then in the 20 matches that have followed, including the run towards the AFCON last-four and eventual bronze medal.
“There’s a lot of stories behind that, everybody knows I was in the first division when I was 21, 22 and then I think things didn’t happen for me at the time [get the bigger club move], I had offers but the club I was playing for before, they wanted a lot of money,” Sithole explained when asked by iDiski Times about his club situation.
“They blocked me from moving away from the club. But that’s the reason I went to the second division. You know clubs, if they see you’re the only valuable player in the team, they will tend to use that against you, that’s what happened.
“Honestly speaking, I was supposed to leave and they wanted big money because at the time I was still under contract, even for me, going to Tondela, I was told to go there.”
Sithole has scored two goals with two assists in 17 games for his new club during the 2023/24 season so far as they chase promotion from Liga Portugal 2 and he’s hoping his exploits on the continent can elevate his status once more to attract a bigger move.
“Obviously [I want this AFCON to attract interest], I went to Tondela intending to get game time to be able to come here for AFCON, which I did, I think moving there helped me a lot,” Sithole said,
“It’s a club that played in the Premier League for many years and now they fighting for promotion again – so I think it helped me to go there, because I am here, I am playing every game in Tondela.
“I don’t know about [offers] I have not heard anything, maybe there is, maybe not – I don’t know…”
