Mahlatse Makudubela tells SA players to ‘get out of your comfort zone’
29th March 2024
By
Young Africans midfielder Mahlatse Makudubela has explained the desire to get out of his comfort zone of playing in South Africa is what drove him to sign for the Tanzanian Premier League giants.
Makudubela and 'Yanga' will face Mamelodi Sundowns in the CAF Champions League quarter-final first-leg at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar Es Salaam on Saturday evening.
Speaking during a virtual interview with the South African Football Journalists Association (SAFJA) on Thursday, Makudubela highlighted the importance of South African footballers, coaches, and officials to look beyond the Premier Soccer League.
"South Africa is a beautiful country, [when] you go outside of South Africa, you hear people talking about our country and then you realise that we live in a very good space, a good country with everything not far from us – we can just reach it by extending our hand," said Makudubela.
"And then you realise that people [in South Africa] are in a comfort zone, we live a very good and fair life, so people don't want to grow outside their comfort zone, and that's where I think great growth comes from."
Makudubela added that he regularly speaks with Egyptian-based Bafana Bafana star Percy Tau, who also challenged himself by joining Al Ahly rather than returning home following a stint with Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion.
"I happen to speak a lot with Percy Tau, we discussed the challenges that we face as footballers playing away from home, with one of the major things being the language barrier," he explained.
"But I think if the mentality is saying, 'I want to challenge myself as a player,' most South Africans should spread their wings and challenge themselves as individuals because there's a lot of things to learn out there – different cultures and people and how they think.
"I can again say, you can never learn and grow in your own comfort zone, so I think it's more of trying to challenge yourself as an individual."
