Kaizer Chiefs youngster Luke Baartman has reflected on his Amakhosi debut after coming off the bench on their goalless draw with TS Galaxy.
Baartman, 19, had to force his transfer from Cape Town Spurs via the SAFA arbitration and then went away with the Amajita squad to the FIFA U19 World Cup.
All of this saw him struggle to get into the Chiefs team, as he also missed the pre-season tour in the Netherlands. However, he has now closed the gap and finally made his long-awaited debut in the final game before the AFCON break.
“It felt good to be back on the field and it was a proud moment for me to wear the Chiefs jersey,” he told Chiefs’ media team.
“After training hard for the past few months, it was rewarding to finally play for this great institution.
“Though it wasn’t easy, since I haven’t played for a while, I feel I contributed to the attack as we tried to unlock Galaxy’s defence.”
Baartman, who will now go on break with the rest of Amakhosi, as they only return to action on 20 January against Golden Arrows, has also sent a message to the club’s supporters.
“I wish our supporters happy festive holidays and a Merry Christmas. We look forward to seeing them in numbers again after the break as we resume our league and Confederation Cup campaigns.”