Ivory Coast legend Solomon Kalou says there’s a certain level of envy around the continent about the standard and professionalism of the Premier Soccer League.
Kalou is back in South Africa and was part of the Soweto Derby launch as Kaizer Chiefs prepare to host Orlando Pirates in high profile league fixture at FNB Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Having played in the Berlin, Rotterdam, and London among the major Derbies in his career, Kalou admits his experience of South Africa is something he’s been surprised of.
“The South African league is impressive, you see how the national team is filled with players who play at home, they play in this league, from Sundowns, Pirates, Chiefs – that’s the players who represent the national team,” Kalou said at the Johannesburg ExPo centre.
“That shows how strong the league is and how well those teams are developing talent and you can tell with the results of the national team – that South Africa is coming back to the level it used to be – since the Golden Generation in ’96, we have been waiting for South Africa to get back to where they belong.
“And they are coming back now, the league is showing that, I’m impressed by the stadiums, it’s nice, the players are very professional, that should be an idea for us back home, in Ivory Coast for example.
“Like it would be great for players to come home and finish where they started after Europe, you have that opportunity here, we don’t have that – so we’re a little bit envious of players here, because you can come home and finish your career or even start it here.
“Having that opportunity [at this standard] is not always available in all countries in West Africa, we don’t have these opportunities.”
Chiefs host Pirates this weekend in must-win game for both sides at FNB Stadium on Saturday afternoon at 15h30.
