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Zuma: It's Difficult To Win A Championship

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Bafana Bafana and FC Copenhagen legend, Sibusiso Zuma chatted about his five years in Denmark why he'd encourage youngsters to take the leap and go to Europe.
Bafana Bafana and FC Copenhagen legend, Sibusiso Zuma chatted about his five years in Denmark why he'd encourage youngsters to take the leap and go to Europe.
Getty Images/Brian Bahr

Bafana Bafana and FC Copenhagen legend, Sibusiso Zuma chatted about his five years in Denmark why he'd encourage youngsters to take the leap and go to Europe.

Check it out!

What's the story?

Former Orlando Pirates, Mamelodi Sundowns, and Bafana Bafana striker sat down with Lorenz Köhler to chat about his successful stint in Denmark with FC Copenhagen.

Zuma, who enjoyed a successful stay in Europe after leaving Pirates for the Danish giants in 1999, encouraged young South African footballers to take a leap of faith and ply their trade overseas.

Read: DJ Khaled To Sundowns: Go & Be Great!

Let's take a closer look...

Zuma on European adventure

Sibusiso Zuma shared some insightful stories of his time in Europe, where he played for FC Copenhagen, Arminia Bielefeld in Germany and a short stay at FC Nordsjælland.

"Rhee" etched his name into Danish football history books with an otherworldly bicycle kick for FC Copenhagen against Brondby back in June 2001, helping his side to a 2-1 win and to a league title.

The goal was then voted as the Danish Goal of the Year in 2001, and was voted the best Superliga Goal of the Decade in December 2009, with the Durban-born striker going on to receive a statue for not only the goal, but for garnering quite the heavy cult following over his five years at FC Copenhagen.

"I think the timing was just right. When FC Copenhagen signed me, they were really prepping to start winning the league. They were struggling in the seasons before, but signed really quality players, it was lucky that they found me, because they started wanting to win the championship.

"Arriving there and seeing everything, and my bosses sat down with me to say; 'listen this is the plan, we want to start winning the championship. We've been together for 10 years and we haven't won the league,'" recounted Zuma, who revealed that he felt the pressure as soon as he landed in Copenhagen.

"Of course there was pressure on my side but, oh man, I was really ready. That side, it's difficult to win a championship. As a team, you have the whole city on your shoulders, that pressure when everything is balanced, you have to find a way to make sure the team wins," added the retired forward.

Zuma and Köhler then touched on Danish-based wing-back, Gift Links, with Msholozi saying it's a mistake for Hugo Broos and the Bafana Bafana selectors not to pick him in the squad.

"Denmark's standard of the game is a level higher than ours and he's been there for a long time. When I was there, I learnt a lot and then I took that back and helped the national team qualify for a lot of tournaments, and I'm sure he wants to do that as well.

"I've been following him, he works very hard and I've been watching some of his games when I've been in Denmark. He brings quality every work, we need someone who's going to do that for Bafana," says Zuma on Links.

As someone who travelled a fair share of the globe during his professional, Zuma wants the same for South Africa's young talent. 

"I've been saying this for years, that we need some of our boys, playing even in the small leagues in Europe. If you look at what happened to me, when I was playing in Denmark, that was another level, whenever I was called-up for Bafana Bafana, I would score or assist.

He also touched on how much his game improved when he levelled up from the Danish league to Bundesliga, resulting in him putting together stronger performances for Bafana Bafana. 

Read: Sibusiso Zuma's Unrivalled Jersey Collection

Watch from minute 14 until 22:



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