Salomon Kalou during the Betway Premiership 2025/26 match between Mamelodi Sundowns and Orbit College at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria on 19 January 2026 ©Phakamisa Lensman/BackpagePix
Friday Feb 27, 2026. 13:00
Former Ivorian international Salomon Kalou has given South Africa’s Professional Soccer League (PSL) his stamp of approval.
Speaking to members of the media at the pre-match conference for the Soweto Derby, the former Chelsea winger praised the country’s top flight, the Betway Premiership, for its standard.
“I mean, the South African league is impressive,” said Kalou.
“You know, you see the national team is full of the players that play at home. They play in those leagues from [Mamelodi] Sundowns to [Orlando] Pirates to [Kaizer] Chiefs. Those are the players that represent the national team. So that shows how strong the league is and how well those teams are developing those young talents.”
The 40-year-old cited the league as the main reason for the improved results and performances of the South African national team on the global stage.
“You can tell that with the result of the national team, that South Africa is coming back to the level that they used to be since the golden generation in 1996. You know, we were always waiting for South Africa to come back to where they belong. And they are coming back and the league is showing that,” he said.
Kalou, who notched 97 caps for the Elephants, stated that the league is setting the standard across Africa and that his home country could learn from South Africa.
“I’m impressed how the stadium is nice and the players are very professional. That should be an idea for us back home in Ivory Coast because, you know, it’s always good to come and finish [your career] at home or to start home and go to Europe. And they have that opportunity here.
“We don’t have that. So, you know, it’s a little bit envious of a player here because you can come home and finish your career or you can start your career home. Not always every country in West Africa or Africa will have that opportunity,” he said.
The Betway Premiership was recently ranked as the 47th best football league in the world and the fourth best in Africa by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS).
By Nic Gleeson