Durban City highly-rated midfielder Brooklyn Poggenpoel has opened up on representing Bafana Bafana for the first time.
Poggenpoel was among the players handed their maiden call-ups as South Africa prepared to face Guinea and Eritrea before taking on Egypt in an international friendly.
The highly-rated midfielder made his debut on Tuesday when Bafana secured a convincing 5-0 victory over Eritrea.
Poggenpoel was introduced as a second-half substitute for Bathusi Aubaas, who was forced off with an injury in the first half.
Reflecting on the milestone, Poggenpoel revealed that representing Bafana Bafana has been a long-standing ambition and one he has worked tirelessly to achieve.
“It is a very proud moment for me and my family. Receiving my first Bafana Bafana call-up is something I have worked towards for a long time, and I am very grateful for the opportunity,” said Poggenpoel, as per Durban City website.
Asked about missing out on the final squad for the FIFA World Cup after initially making the preliminary squad, Poggenpoel insisted that he did not view the disappointment as a setback.
“I do not think it was a setback in any way. My motivation stays the same regardless. I spent some time at home with my family and close friends and just focused on preparing myself for pre-season and the season ahead.”