5 Most Popular South African Footballers Right Now
9 October 2022
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The 21st Century has witnessed some of the most outstanding performances from football stars from across the globe. South Africa is also among the countries with amazing players loved and adored by millions of fans locally and globally. It’s worth noting that there is a broad list of leading South African soccer stars, and we’ve compiled five that meet great expectations in our books.

These players draw attention from multitudes globally and have given fans a reason to patronize new SA betting sites. Sports betting is popular in South Africa and many fans want to make money through sports like their favorite football stars. To get started, you can visit any local bet shop, or sign up online with any internet sportsbooks available in the country for a chance to win money.

This article provides concise and exact information about the top famous SA soccer players of 2022 and those you should look out for in 2023. Read on for more information. 

  1. Lebo Mothiba

Born on January 28, 1996, Lebogang Mothiba (or Lebo Mothiba) ranks as one of the most regarded South African footballers in 2022. He began his career in 2017 while playing for the Ligue 2 club Valenciennes. Then, he was transferred to Lille for a loan contract before returning the next year. Lebo made 17 appearances and scored 6 goals before moving to play Forward Centre (FC) wing for the Ligue 1 Racing Club de Strasbourg Alsace (commonly known as Strasbourg). 

Also, Lebo played with the South African national team at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Two years later, he crossed over to the senior side and became an icon, being the first player to score three successive goals for his country as a starter. 

  1. Sphephelo Sithole

Ranking #2 on our list today is Bafana Bafana’s renowned midfielder, Sphephelo Sithole. Sphephelo officially started his professional career in August 2017 when he began playing for Sporting U19. He then succeeded in the Vitoria FC U23 squad in 2018. Not long after then, Sphephenle was signed into Belenenses SAD U23 in January 2019 and plays there currently.

  1. Lyle Brent Foster 

Lyle Brent Foster is another famous SA soccer star who plays for the Portuguese team Vitoria Guimares. Lyle plays as one of the forwards in SA’s national squad. He began his professional career in 2016 when he signed a deal with the South African U17 team. Lyle later played for the Orlando Pirates from 2017 to 2019. However, he joined Monaco B. 

Following that, in 2020, he joined Cercle Brugge before heading over to Vitoria Guimares. During his eight years of professional career, Lyle Brent Foster has proved to be one of the most outstanding Bafana Bafana players. Thanks to players like this, football rakes in attention from fans from across the world.

  1. Tashreeq Matthews

Born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa, the twenty-year-old Tashreeq Matthews ranks as one of the most popular South African footballers. He has also played with the South African U20 team. Thanks to his outstanding performances in these teams, Tashreeq Matthews has made a significant name for himself and is regarded as one of Bafana Bafana’s most popular players in 2022 globally. In 2018, Germany’s Borussia Dortmund signed a deal with him. 

In 2020, he joined the Varbergs BoIS on a loan contract from Utrecht, which was signed in 2019. Since then, he has played in more than ten appearances. If you’re a punter, there are SA betting sites with free registration procedures that enable you also to stream your favorite matches and bet on the outcome of events involving this player and others.

  1. Percy Tau

Percy Tau is the last on our list of the top 5 most popular SA football players in 2022. Not only does Percy Tau prove to be a renowned player, but also a very reliable midfielder. In 2018, Percy transferred from Mamelodi Sundowns to Brighton. He was then transferred on loan contracts to Union SG, Belgium’s Anderlecht, a Club Brugge, before returning to his primary team (Brighton) in 2021. 

Percy was with the English Premier League (EPL) club, Brighton and Hove Albion for four seasons before departing. During the time, the South African star started three EPL games and made six appearances for the Seagulls before heading back to Africa to further his career. As of press time, the Bafana Bafana midfielder plays for the Egyptian team Al Ahly, where he is a regular starter.

Percy netted 13 goals for his national team and was regarded as the most active SA player. He is known as the best player in the South African national team, and there are high hopes of him following Benni McCarthy, SA’s best footballer of all time. Betting pundits can check out online sportsbooks that offer bonus in South Africa to wager on Al Ahly and other teams that feature Bafana Bafana stars.

Conclusion 

If you are to follow footballers from Bafana Bafana, you will realize that they possess an innate ability for excellent delivery and outstanding performances. The players on this list attract massive love and attention from local and global fans, impacting the popularity of sports in the country.