Europe has been a destination most South African players have craved for, but things are slowly changing with the re-emergence of the Major League Soccer in the United States of America. Well, it may not be Europe, but may just be the door Mzansi stars have been looking for to get to the top overseas leagues faster. With Olwethu Makhanya and Cassius Mailula being the latest talent from the Premier Soccer Laduma to make big moves to the MLS, it looks like it's just only the beginning and that more local players are likely to follow suit in future. Soccer Laduma investigates…
What Are The Facts?
With South African players making moves to Major League Soccer in the USA, there have been some mixed emotions from locals who are questioning if it's better than going to play in Europe. Olwethu Makhanya and Cassius Mailula are the latest players to have made a move to the MLS, joining Bongokuhle Hlongwane and Njabulo Blom, who crossed over within the last two years. The introduction of the Under-22 Initiative in the MLS appears to have opened doors for young Mzansi stars to play their football abroad, when it seemed like European moves were no longer happening as much as they used to for players from these shore. But how exactly does the Under-22 Initiative work? Here's an explanation…
• Major League Soccer clubs can sign up to three players under the age of 22 on lucrative contracts at a reduced budget charge.
• Players can occupy the slots until the season they turn 25. International players, such as the South Africans who have gone there, are eligible to be signed on the U-22 initiative when they sign their first MLS contracts.
• Each MLS team will have up to three U22 Initiative Slots that will each occupy one of the 20 existing Senior Roster Slots.
• Players under the designation will hit the salary budget at $150,000 (R2.8 million) or $200,000 (R3.7 million), depending on their age. Players who are older are likely to earn more. Players must be younger than 23 at the end of their first season in the league to qualify. Blom, as an example, is earning $246,000 (R4.62 million) annually in base salary and $338,250 (R6.36 million) in guaranteed compensation per year at his new club – the former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder's monthly guaranteed compensation is $28,188 (R530,000). He had just turned 23 when he was announced as a player for St Louis City and will be the same age when the season ends in October.
In a way, finding some of the best young talent around the world will ensure that European clubs go scouting for players in the MLS and they have an opportunity to make a good amount of money from the transfer fees. If the South African players stand out while they are there, chances are they are going to make moves to big leagues abroad.
The Story Behind The Scenes
Is it Worth It Financially?
Speaking further on the matter of MLS clubs recently signing Mzansi players, Moore revealed how lucrative the moves are for the players, explaining that the league will surpass a lot of the leagues in Europe, meaning it would be good for PSL stars to make a move to benefit them financially as well.
"Compared to South Africa in most cases, you will end up with more money. I think the MLS will outstrip the Scandinavian countries – so, you are talking Denmark, Sweden and Norway. They will probably pay more than most Portuguese clubs. They will pay more than a third of half of the Belgian clubs. Financially, it's a very solid league and you play in front of some very big crowds. Atlanta United, for example, will average, like, 70 000 people at every home game in a season. Seattle (Sounders) is a big club for drawing people to the stadium."
Improving Their Game
With the likes of Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets making a move to the MLS, there is currently more attention on the league. Being around some top players is likely to improve the game of the South African players in the MLS and they are likely to catch the attention of European clubs in future, with age still on their side. Hlongwane and Blom have improved their games since making a move to the USA. Former New York Red Bulls player Danleigh Borman, a retired South African left winger, is in favour of local players making a move to the US, as he is confident that will improve their game and give them opportunities to go to Europe. Borman also played for Toronto FC, the club former Mamelodi Sundowns attacker Cassius Mailula is currently on the books of.
"The MLS has grown and it's become stronger. It will keep on growing. You can see the international stars who are going there – that raises the level of the MLS. So, naturally, the players who go there will improve. They are going to grow and learn and get a different perspective.
Bafana Bafana To Benefit?
With youngster making a move to the MLS, Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos will have more overseas-based players in his squad to give him valuable experience going forward. There has been a call, for many years, to have more Mzansi players playing abroad and it appears things are heading in the right direction and the senior national team is certainly going to benefit from this.
The Lionel Messi Factor
The Argentinean superstar's move to the MLS is a big deal and playing in the same league as arguably the best player the world has ever produced will give the South African players an opportunity to take their game to another level. With Messi playing in the MLS, more eyes are certainly going to be on the league, which means scouts will be looking at talent in the US, which could benefit the South African players who are currently there. The former Barcelona attacker is a big brand and for someone like Hlongwane, who currently has more goals than the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner in the Leagues Cup, it could get more attention coming his way.
Top Agent Breaks It Down
The Siya crew spoke to Rob Moore, the agent of Njabulo Blom and Olwethu Makhanya, to get his expert opinion on the Under-22 Initiative.
"The MLS has grown tremendously over the last few years, but it's a league that's complicated with a lot of rules. They have a cap on how much the players can earn. They have a certain number of designated players who can go there and earn more than what the normal level is. With the Under-22 Initiative, there's a reality that the player could earn more or the whole package could cost more, including a transfer fee. If you don't follow the league, it's a complicated system. You have to be quite involved in the league to understand it all.
"The bottom line was that the U-22 Initiative was brought into place to allow the league or the clubs in the league to sign very talented young players from around the world. They have changed their stance dramatically over the last five or six years. They've become a far more selling league than they were previously, so they have seen the value in allowing clubs to sign up young talented players and banking on those clubs to sell those players down the line to European clubs. In simple terms for South Africans, it's a league that's a very good step (for Europe) because the problem with our national teams is that they have not been performing, so they don't have the interest of a lot of (European scouts). They are off the radar of European clubs. If you want to go from A to C, and C being in Europe, this is a good first A-to-B step, to get to C. The league is organised and it's attracting good players and those who are not necessarily at the end of their careers. We've done a lot of work in America, so the connections are good. It's good for the future."
Watch This Space
The recent moves by young PSL players to the Major League Soccer is a clear sign that eyes are on the local league and individuals who have aspirations of playing abroad are probably well aware of the fact that they need to raise their game. If they continue to do well and make names for themselves in that part of the world, more clubs from the MLS will be looking at PSL players to sign in future. But, with clubs only having three slots for the Under-22 initiative, it might not happen as regularly as South Africans would probably want it to, as there are a number of youngsters from different parts of the world who could catch the attention of teams in the US.
