Bafana Bafana and Polokwane City talent Oswin Appollis has been touted to make a move abroad after an impressive 2023/24 campaign.
The 22-year-old has enjoyed an incredible career turnaround over the past 24 months, as he went from a development wonderkid at Ajax Cape Town to being a free agent after parting ways with SuperSport United in 2021.
Clubs in Europe were closely monitoring the South Africa international when he was bursting onto the scene with Amajita but a lack of first team opportunities in the DStv Premiership severely stunted his meteoric rise.
However, a move to Pretoria Callies with then coach Kwanele Kopo reignited his career in the Motsepe Foundation Championship with six goals in 20 starts. This led to a free transfer with league winners Rise and Shine for his first real crack at the top flight as a regular.
And the rest is history, with 11 goal contributions in 30 games across all competitions and a bronze medal at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations with Bafana, his stock has never been higher.
Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates and even his former club SuperSport United have been linked with moves for the diminutive midfielder. However, interim coach Phuti Mohafe says he’s driven to land a move abroad.
“You have the constant communication with your players, with Appollis there’s no exception, he’s so level-headed, whenever you take him aside and talk to him, he understands,” Mohafe said.
“He’s a boy that still wants to grow in football and I think he’s on the right track. He’s a national asset because of himself, he’s a national asset because of Polokwane City, he’s a national asset because of the teams he’s come from.
“So I think the commitment he has is what drives him and the motivation that he wants to go elsewhere is the driving force for him – not going elsewhere around the country but going abroad, that is what’s driving him.”
When pressed whether an offer has been tabled for the player: “No, that one I don’t know – I don’t know if he has an overseas offer but what I was saying, if the offer comes, it’s not going to be local, it has to be abroad.”
Appollis has been named in the preliminary Bafana Bafana squad set to face Nigeria and Zimbabwe in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers next month.
