Johannesburg — Luke Le Roux’s smile might have illuminated Dobsonville Stadium in the midst of a blackout as he pondered on his first Bafana Bafana call-up.
Receiving a Bafana call-up is the greatest accomplishment of my life thus far. We will prepare for the two games with great effort,” Le Roux stated.
“The past is now in the past. We are contemplating the future. It’s the happiest and proudest moment of my life, which I cannot adequately describe.”
Bafana are now in camp preparing for two friendly against Sierra Leone and Botswana on Saturday and Tuesday at FNB Stadium.
Even though Themba Zwane, who is 33 years old, has returned, Hugo Broos has maintained his commitment to youth and new faces by adding more to his team.
Le Roux, 22 years old, is now playing for Varbergs BoIS in Sweden, where he has made 71 appearances since his arrival in 2020.
Before moving to Sweden, the midfielder played with SuperSport United, where he made only four appearances across all competitions.
He was a frequent member of the reserves and Under-20 national team – Amajita – and participated in the 2019 Under-20 World Cup in Poland.
“Definitely, it was an incredible feeling when I learned I would be joining the national team,” Le Roux said of his selection to Bafana.
“I can’t describe it. I have a strong faith in God. Therefore, I believe that everything happens at the correct time — whether it happened before or after, it was the right time.”
Le Roux is aware of the maxim “It’s up to me to seize the opportunity”; this has been his mantra since he moved to Sweden in the year 2020.
Le Roux stated, “I have not participated in any PSL games, although I was on the SuperSport senior team and reserve team for two years.”
“Therefore, I believe that travelling to Sweden was a necessary advancement at that time. I was twenty years old. I wanted to play, and traveling to Europe is the dream of everyone.
“I believe that travelling to Sweden is the proper next step. I am enjoying playing football there each week. And perhaps this trend will continue.”
Le Roux is eying a move to Portugal or the Netherlands and is counting on his performance in Sweden to propel him to a higher level of competition.
However, he is aware that he must use every opportunity he is given, even at Bafana, because Broos has stated that he will give his players a chance.
In addition, the Belgian coach wants his players to be on fire in order for his team to return to winning ways, since they are winless in their last four matches.
“Having a coach who expresses a desire to play young players was an added incentive for me.” “I am now 22 years old,” Le Roux explained.
“I am present for a purpose. And I am grateful for the invitation, so it is up to me to persevere. But I believe in myself. So I am prepared for the chance.”
@Mihlalibaleka