Percy Tau is determined to help Bafana Bafana qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
The 29-year-old winger is currently playing his football for Egyptian giants Al Ahly.
He was a part of the South African team that narrowly missed out on the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
Bafana kick off their new World Cup qualifying campaign against Benin at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.
They then travel to take on Rwanda at the Huye Stadium on Tuesday.
Tau has enjoyed a stellar career thus far, playing in Belgium and England, but admits it would be a dream to be able to represent his country at a World Cup.
The winger said in the Sowetan: “I’d love that [to qualify for the 2026 World Cup] to happen because I know I’d mean so much to us as a country but also to the young boys, it’d mean so much for them.
“They [youngsters] would be able to say ‘I saw Bafana play in the World Cup and I also want to play in the World Cup’. It’s very important for us to qualify for these major tournaments and compete because we also have to give hope to the next generation.”
Tau added: “As you get older the motivation for success gets higher because you get to realise that your time is coming to an end. So, every moment starts to be important to you, how you look after yourself, because you know that you don’t have time. So, try to make sure you win every tournament you play in.”
Bafana last qualified for the World Cup in 2002 and qualified automatically as hosts in 2010.