Nomvethe wants to see locals dominate the scoring charts

South African football legend Siyabonga Nomvethe has called on local strikers to improve their scoring records and outshine players from abroad.

Nomvethe remains the leading goal scorer in local football with 129 goals — a record that could soon be broken by Peter Shalulile.

The Namibian international has netted 125 goals during spells at Highlands Park and current club Mamelodi Sundowns. With Sundowns still set to play their final 10 games in the Betway Premiership, while also competing in the CAF Champions League and Nedbank Cup quarter-finals, Shalulile could surpass Nomvethe’s record this season.

“Anything can still happen. He’s still playing, and he’s a hard-working player,” Nomvethe said of the Sundowns striker.

“Even if he overtakes me, I won’t complain because he’s doing well on the field. I’ll be happy for him if he breaks my record. But for me, the most important thing is to see more South African players challenging the record in the future.”

Nomvethe wants to see more South African strikers finding the back of the net, as he feels they have regressed compared to his playing days.

Currently, Brazil-born attacker Lucas Ribeiro leads the league’s scoring charts with 13 goals in 20 matches. Bafana Bafana forward Iqraam Rayners is just one goal away from reaching double digits, trailing his Sundowns teammate and striking partner by four goals.

“I feel bad because most of the foreign players perform well when they come to our league,” Nomvethe added. “I don’t know why South African players don’t shine as much. During our generation, we were winning trophies and scoring goals.”

While ‘Bhele,’ as Nomvethe is affectionately known in football circles, wants to see improvements from local strikers, he also credited defenders for their performances.

Bafana Bafana players have also struggled to score goals, despite qualifying for back-to-back AFCON finals. Their all-time top goal scorer, Benni McCarthy, who retired more than a decade ago, still holds the record with 31 goals.

“But remember, football is an XI versus XI game. That means sometimes the defenders are doing a good job,” Nomvethe said.

Despite defenders excelling in their roles, Nomvethe has urged strikers not to lose confidence in their finishing abilities. He believes that if players put their hearts into every game, they can become more clinical in front of goal.

“The most important thing is for players to take their game seriously when they put on the jerseys of their respective teams,” Nomvethe said.

“They must block out anything that could distract them. Focus is key. At the end of the day, clubs will always be looking to sign new players to strengthen their squads.”

Meanwhile, Nomvethe is doing his part to give back to young footballers, recently hosting the two-day Trellidor iKas’la Makasi Cup tournament through his foundation and Trellidor.