With teenage sensation Emile Witbooi heading out on trial at English giants Chelsea, the Siya crew looks at South African players who have gone on trial at some of Europe's biggest clubs including Real Madrid and FC Barcelona.
South Africa's visibility in some of the biggest leagues in the world has significantly dried up in recent years, from the time the likes of Lucas Radebe, Mark Fish, Shaun Bartlett, Phil Masinga, Benni McCarthy, Steven Pienaar, Delron Buckley and Bradley Carnell became household names in some of the world's biggest leagues.
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There is a glimmer of hope, however, with the new generation of players filtering through. Premiership outfit Wolverhampton Wanderers invited Orlando Pirates starlet Relebohile Mofokeng for a trial in December last year, while City's Witbooi is currently being assessed by the Blues.
Though in yesteryear, a number of players have enjoyed some high-profile trials.
Siyanda Xulu to FC Barcelona
Xulu's move to Barcelona was nearly a done deal. Barca had agreed that he would leave, return to South Africa, wait for the official offer and acceptance, finalize personal terms, and apply for his work permit—he was set to join Barcelona. At the same time, however, Real Madrid approached both Xulu and his representative. It's a true story—Xulu and his representative were watching a B-team game on Sunday before they were set to leave for South Africa on Monday, when someone approached them, unable to speak English, and handed over a business card from Real Madrid. They put someone on the phone who said, "We need you to come to Madrid now." Despite this, they had to decline the offer, as they had already committed to Barcelona. Both clubs were interested, but when they returned to South Africa, things changed. The following week, Barcelona's presidential election took place, and the new president dismissed most of the staff they had been dealing with, except for Pep Guardiola and the first-team staff. As a result, the people who had been pushing for Xulu's signing were no longer in charge, and the deal ultimately fell through.
Keagan Dolly to Real Madrid
Whilst on the books of the Mamelodi Sundowns' youth team, a then teenage Keagan Dolly jetted out to Spain where he spent some time training with Real Madrid. Dolly would spend over a week with 'Los Blancos' as well as their neighbours Atletico Madrid; however, a deal would not materialise for the attacker at the time.
Claasen to Everton
In a recent interview with Soccer Laduma, Daylon Claasen revealed how he came close to signing a deal with English outfit Everton. Claasen had trained with David Moyes' side as a free agent and the coach had invited him to their pre-season camp for the new season; however Moyes would ultimately sign a deal with Manchester United, which saw Claasen's chance of going to the Toffees evaporate.
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Buthelezi To Bayern
AmaZulu teenager Aphiwe Buthelezi, who was named The Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the FC Bayern International Youth Cup, journeyed to the United States with the FC Bayern World Squad to compete against top-tier academies from around the world. Buthelezi's standout performances at the inaugural South African FC Bayern Youth Cup, for u16 players, held at Northwood School in August 2023, earned him his spot in the South African squad that went on to participate in the finals of FC Bayern's International Youth Cup that took place in October 2023 in Germany.
Mofokeng to Wolves
Last year, Mofokeng jetted out for a trial stint with Wolverhampton Wanderers, as confirmed by the Buccaneers coach Jose Riveiro at the time. It is uncertain what the feedback was from Wolves, although Mofokeng viewed the experience as 'eye-opening' and has continued the bright form that saw him earn an assessment in the first place.
