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Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana star players Percy Tau and Thembi Kgatlana are desperate to come home from abroad amid the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic that has forced most countries in the world into lockdown.
The two overseas-based players had asked Safa to help them get home, Dominic Chimhavi, the association’s communications head, told City Press on Friday.
“Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 coronavirus, we have approached most of our players abroad – men and women – to find out what their intention was.
"We did this at the time when government repatriated South Africans who were stranded abroad [in March].
"So far, Percy and Thembi have said they want to return home and we are doing everything we can to help them,” said Chimhavi, adding that Safa was liaising with the sports department to set the process in motion. This is especially hard as most international flights have been grounded and borders closed.
Tau is among a sizeable group of South Africa’s overseas-based players whose leagues have been decided, including in France, where Keagan Dolly, Bongani Zungu, Lebogang Phiri and Lebogang Mothiba are playing.
Tau, who was on a season-long loan at Club Brugge in Belgium, had been confined in the European country for more than a month since his side were declared the league champions in a campaign that was stopped prematurely.
Belgium was the first country to make the hard decision to cancel the 2019/20 season in the wake of the pandemic.
Brugge were 15 points clear of KAA Gent in the 16-team Jupiler Pro League, with just one round of fixtures left to conclude the season.
Tau made 30 appearances in all competitions this season, including precious game time in Europe’s elite club competitions – the Uefa Champions League and Europa League.
Tau spent the past 18 months on loan in Belgium after failing to meet the UK work permit requirements.
He left Mamelodi Sundowns in June 2018 to join Brighton in a South African record-breaking, four-year deal worth more than R50 million.
Tau turns 26 on Thursday and he is probably hoping to celebrate his birthday on home soil.
Meanwhile, Kgatlana, from Randfontein on the West Rand, has been sitting idle in Portugal since the leagues were forced to stop playing indefinitely in mid-March.
The 24-year-old Banyana striker joined SL Benfica in January and her side were jointly leading the 12-team league with Sporting CP after 15 matches.
City Press’ attempts to contact the players were unsuccessful.
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