Pupuma Reveals Why Milford Rejected Foreign Signings
Milford FC coach Xanti Pupuma has explained why the club currently has no foreign players in its squad, saying the club prioritises giving opportunities to local talent, although that approach could change in the future.
The newly promoted side fielded a squad dominated by South African players in its first-ever Betway Premiership match, suffering a 2-0 defeat to defending champions Orlando Pirates on Saturday.
Pupuma said it is uncommon for clubs promoted from the Motsepe Foundation Championship to have foreign players in their squads.
“We are a team that came up from the Motsepe Foundation Championship,” said Pupuma, who was born in Nqamakwe in the Eastern Cape.
“You rarely have foreign players there, so we took those guys with us into the Motsepe Foundation Championship, and now we’ve brought them with us into the PSL.”
Pupuma admitted the club has not yet looked beyond the local market when recruiting players.
“We haven’t had an opportunity to look outside yet,” he added.
“Fortunately for us, we identified the players we wanted to strengthen the squad. We signed the players we identified to improve the areas we needed to strengthen, such as the Nomandelas and the Mnqobis.
“Unfortunately, we did not identify any foreign players. We’ve received suggestions from agents and other club owners, but we’ve always prioritised giving local boys from around Richards Bay the opportunity to represent the team.
“Coming from the Eastern Cape ourselves, we also want to involve people from the Eastern Cape in strengthening the team. So, as long as there’s a player from Nqamakwe at the same level as a player from Zimbabwe, I’m going to choose the one from Nqamakwe.
“It’s not that I have a problem with people from outside, but I feel I can relate more to a boy from Nqamakwe because I know where he comes from.
“Maybe, as we grow in the professional ranks, that will change. As the club becomes bigger, we’ll broaden our outlook. Hopefully, we’ll introduce that gradually.”
While Milford’s current focus remains on developing local talent, Pupuma suggested the club’s recruitment strategy could evolve as it establishes itself in the Betway Premiership.
