Former Bafana Bafana defender Lucas Radebe believes the presence of two major South African teams in the CAF Champions League semi-finals highlights the strength and depth of the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

Radebe notes that the significant number of players from these clubs has positively influenced the success of the national team, Bafana Bafana, who secured a bronze medal at the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Ivory Coast last year.

Furthermore, Bafana Bafana have qualified for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco and are also in a strong position to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns have travelled to Egypt for the second legs of their CAF Champions League semi-final ties on Friday, both aiming for score draws after their respective first legs in South Africa ended goalless last week.

Pirates will face a challenging Pyramids at the 30 June Air Defence Stadium in Cairo at 20:00, while Sundowns will visit Al Ahly at the Cairo International Stadium at 18:00.

“Like in the past, the core of our national team has always come from the big clubs,” said Radebe, a key player in Bafana Bafana’s Africa Cup of Nations victory in 1996.

“I think the current manager [Hugo Broos] and the support from the organization play a very important role. For a team to succeed, it’s not just about what happens on the field; it also involves the behind-the-scenes support. I believe we are heading in the right direction. There are great signs in the players – their confidence, their playing style, and their desire to win something.”

Despite the evenly poised nature of the second-leg encounters, Radebe is confident that both Pirates and Sundowns are capable of securing positive results and reaching the final.

“I think South African football has demonstrated its ability to compete in major international club tournaments,” stated Radebe, who won three league titles with Kaizer Chiefs before his move to Leeds United in 1994.

“The CAF Champions League has shown that Sundowns, Pirates, and Kaizer Chiefs [who are on the verge of qualifying for the Confed Cup next season] are all capable.

“However, going to Cairo is always very difficult. You can see the difference in standards between the North and South African teams, but we are catching up.

“This has been evident in the home legs, even though it was tough to overcome those teams. We must believe in ourselves; we can’t always see ourselves as second best. At some point, we have to believe we can topple these teams, and I think that’s the mindset of the Pirates and Sundowns players.”

Adding to the positive representation of South African football on the continent, Stellenbosch FC are also in the semi-finals of the CAF Confederation Cup.

They will host Simba SC in the second leg at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Sunday [15:00].

Unlike Pirates and Sundowns, Stellenbosch face an uphill battle after losing the first leg 1-0 away in Tanzania last weekend.