Heracles forward Tristan van Gilst says it would be an honour to one day represent Bafana Bafana as he continues his impressive form in the Netherlands.
The 23-year-old, currently starring in a second striker, ten role in his current club that are top of the Eerste Divisie and looking to earn immediate promotion back to the top-flight is an early contender for the Player of the Season with 11 goals and three assists in the opening 14 league games.
Currently leading the table with five points ahead of second-placed VVV – van Gilst is third in the Golden Boot race after a sublime hattrick this past weekend in their 5-1 win over Roda JC.
“Well, I haven’t spoken to the Federation [SAFA] before. That’s very simple. I haven’t spoken to them before, but with my paperwork, I checked if I my birth has been confirmed in South Africa and that’s been. So, I’m now going to ask the Federation for the passport. I’m eligible for it. So yeah, I think once, if Bafana want it faster, it will be very easy to get it,” he tells iDiski Times.
“I’m born in Holland, but it has been my birth has been confirmed in South Africa, so registered. So, then you are eligible for South African passport. I think I just wanted to say it would be an honour to play for South Africa. I’ve been there so many times also to represent the country where my blood is from and I’m very connected to South Africa, so it would be really an honour to play for them.”
The Dutch-born forward is eligible to represent South Africa through his mother, who relocated to the Netherlands at the age of 27 to start their family.