Quinton Fortune Advises Bafana Bafana Stars to Leave PSL and Move to Europe
- Bafana Bafana legend Quinton Fortune spoke about what South Africa's players must do after their historic World Cup knockout-round appearance
- Fortune, who played for Manchester United for seven years, pointed to the careers of Messi and Ronaldo as proof of what is required
- The call comes as Bafana face a coaching transition following Hugo Broos's retirement and Pitso Mosimane's appointment as his successor
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Quinton Fortune believes the players who carried Bafana Bafana into a historic World Cup knockout round must now pursue careers in Europe if South Africa is to build on the moment.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with IOL, courtesy of Premier Bet, from Madrid, Fortune reflected on how deeply the achievement resonated with him and other members of his generation of Bafana alumni.
"To go through to the second round was huge. We spoke to the players live on TV when I was doing media work from Madrid. We congratulated them and told them, 'You guys have achieved the most amazing thing for the national team, because we weren't even able to do that,'" Fortune said.
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**Fortune's Message to South Africa's Rising Stars**
The former midfielder was unambiguous about what must follow. In his view, competing in the domestic league is a sufficient starting point, but it cannot be the ceiling for players who want to reach the highest level.
"They've got to build on that now because, my goodness… I remember thinking when they went out, 'Please God, let a few of these players now go to Europe,' because that's what South Africa needs. It's great for them to be playing in South Africa — it's a solid base to start from. But to truly test themselves and improve the national team, they have to step up. There's a reason all the top players in the world are playing in Europe, and why they're so successful," he said.
Fortune drew on the examples of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as Brazilian legends Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, to illustrate that relocating to Europe is not merely advantageous but essential for any player with world-class ambitions.
"They did it because they wanted to be the best and knew it was the only way to improve. That's exactly what I want for this generation of South African players," he added.
Fortune's perspective is rooted in personal experience. He never played club football in South Africa, instead joining Tottenham Hotspur's youth academy before completing a seven-year stint at Manchester United from 1999.
**Coaching Change Adds Urgency**
The timing of Fortune's comments coincides with a significant shift in Bafana's leadership structure. Coach Hugo Broos, who guided the team to their historic World Cup milestone, has since announced his retirement. The South African Football Association responded quickly, appointing Pitso Mosimane as head coach within roughly a week of Broos's departure.
Fortune's message, in essence, is that individual player development and managerial continuity must now go hand in hand if South Africa is to convert a landmark result into lasting progress on the world stage.
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Source: Briefly News
