SA youngster Shandre Campbell announces himself on the big stage with stunning winner for Club Brugge
Lift off Club Brugge's South African forward Shandre Campbell celebrates after scoring his team's winning goal during their Belgian Pro League match against Zulte-Waregem at Elindus Arena in Waregem on Saturday. Photo: Maarten Straetemans/BELGA/AFP
Image: Maarten Straetemans/BELGA/AFP
South African youngster Shandre Campbell announced his arrival on the big stage when he scored a stoppage-time winner in Club Brugge’s Belgian Pro League game against Zulte Waregem on Saturday.
With time running out and the match headed towards a goalless draw, the former SuperSport United sensation came off the bench in the 83rd minute as Nicky Hayen looked to shake things up.
Deep in stoppage time, Campbell picked up the ball well outside the 18-yard area and fired from distance, beating the goalkeeper to give Brugge a famous 1-0 win. It was Campbell’s first senior goal for the club since moving to Belgium at the beginning of last season.
After the game, Hayen revealed that his reasoning for bringing on Campbell was that he had the ability to beat the low block, which had worked well for Zulte Waregem the previous week against Anderlecht.
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“We opted for Campbell because he has an individual touch in his legs. He kicks the ball in fantastically,” said the coach.
Campbell’s teammate Brandon Mechele said they were aware of what the 20-year-old can do, as he often shows in training. “We were lucky that Campbell’s shot deflected a bit, but we know from training that he has that kind of leg,” said the Belgium international defender.
Last season, videos of Campbell scoring long-range goals were often posted on social media. As a result, he was brought into the club’s first team and even sat on the bench for their UEFA Champions League games against Aston Villa.
Now that he’s started to make a name for himself in Brugge’s first team, Campbell will hope that Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos is watching.
If Campbell can build on this moment and continue to impress in Belgium, it won’t just be Club Brugge fans taking notice. The 20-year-old’s composure, technique, and eye for spectacular goals suggest he could soon become a key figure for Bafana Bafana, and perhaps attract attention from bigger European clubs as well.
This weekend’s winner was a statement that Shandre Campbell has arrived, and South African football may have unearthed another international talent ready to shine on the world stage.
IOL Sport