Bafana’s Sithole moves back to Portuguese top flight

Bafana Bafana midfielder Sphephelo Sithole will be playing in the Primeira Liga in Portugal next season after sealing a move to Gil Vicente.

Gil Vicente made the announcement on Monday afternoon.

Novo reforço? 𝗬𝗮𝘆𝗮 ✅

Bem-vindo à família, Yaya Sithole 🔴🔵#UnidosPelaLenda #GalosDeLuta pic.twitter.com/jo9UO84GnG

— Gil Vicente Futebol Clube (@GilVicente_fc) July 22, 2024

The Barcelos-based side, who are named after the playwright of the same name, finished 12th in last season’s top flight campaign.

Sithole has joined Vicente on loan from his Portuguese second-tier side Tondela, who he played for the whole of last season.

Bafana bronze

The 25 year-old has been the subject of plenty of transfer speculation since he excelled in midfielder at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations fina, his fantastic displays alongside Teboho Mokoena helping Bafana seal a bronze medal in the Ivory Coast.

Bafana head coach Hugo Broos will no doubt hope that a move to the Primeira Liga will now help improve Sithole’s game even further, with vital 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers coming up later this year, and with 2026 Fifa World Cup qualification continuing next year.

SIthole has already made over 50 appearances in the Primeira Liga for SAD Belenenses, who he joined in 2019, before moving to Tondela at the start of last season.

A product of the KZN Academy, Sithole joined Sporting Lisbon in 2017, and then moved to Vitoria Setubal, before he was snapped up by SAD.