An emotional Sage Stephens has described his maiden Bafana Bafana call-up as a special moment in his career.
Last week, Stellenbosch FC goalkeeper Sage Stephens was named in South Africa’s squad alongside club teammates Fawaaz Basadien and Devin Titus for the upcoming CAF 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Uganda and South Sudan.
Stephens’ selection in coach Hugo Broos’ camp has seen him called up to the national team for the first time in his career, and the 33-year-old revealed he was left emotional after finally cracking the nod.
“The first person I spoke to was my wife. The reaction? Actually, I couldn’t believe it,” Stephens said during his first official interview, hosted by SAFA.
“As I have said before in previous interviews, I can only control my performance because ultimately, the decision lies with the coach, and we all respect that the coach has done a magnificent job.
“When I saw my name there for the first time officially, I was very emotional. I don’t want to say it aloud, but I had to choke back a few tears, you know, because it’s a very special moment for me, it’s a big achievement for me personally, and I’m just so grateful for it.”
Stephens also believes that his call-up, which comes on the back of a remarkable 18 months at club level with Stellenbosch FC, could serve as motivation to younger to keep chasing their ambitions.
“To have your first call-up at the age of 33, for me, it’s an incredible feat,” he added.
“It’s never over until you decide it’s over. Ultimately, everyone has their own journey to follow and their own path to lead so what I can say is to never give up.
“If it happened for me at 33, anything is possible for any youngster at any club in the league or around the world. You just have to continue working hard and believing in yourself.”
South Africa will take on Uganda at the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, Uganda, on Friday, 15 November, before returning home to play South Sudan at the Cape Town Stadium on 19 November.
