Chelsea FC legend and UEFA Champions League winner rates the PSL, 'we are a little bit envious of players here'

Former Chelsea attacking midfielder Salomon Kalou has waxed lyrical about the Premier Soccer League, hailing it as the power behind Bafana Bafana's competitiveness.

The 2011/12 UEFA Champions League winner and 2025 African champion with Ivory Coast has also been impressed by the football infrastructure in South Africa, noting that other African countries can draw lessons.

He was part of the crowd on Saturday as Kaizer Chiefs lost 3-0 to Orlando Pirates in the first Soweto Derby clash of the season.  

“The South African league is impressive,” Kalou said as per IOL.

“You see how the national team is filled with players who play at home — they play in this league, from Sundowns, Pirates, Chiefs. That’s the players who represent the national team.

“That shows how strong the league is and how well those teams are developing talent.

“You can tell with the results of the national team that South Africa is coming back to the level it used to be. Since the Golden Generation in ’96, we have been waiting for South Africa to get back to where they belong," he added.

“I’m impressed by the stadiums — it’s nice. The players are very professional,” Kalou continued.

“That should be an idea for us back home, in Ivory Coast, for example.

It was here that Kalou delivered his most striking observation: envy.

“It would be great for players to come home and finish where they started after Europe — you have that opportunity here,” added the Ivorian.

“We don’t have that, so we’re a little bit envious of players here.”