Playing for South Africa in their 2018 World Cup qualifier against Senegal at Peter Mokaba Stadium today would be Lars Veldwijk’s biggest game of his career‚ his dad has said.
Harry Veldwijk has travelled to South Africa to provide moral support to the 1.96m giant striker‚ his son Lars‚ who has impressed at training – perhaps enough to get the nod for even a start from Bafana Bafana coach Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba in the crucial Russia 2018 qualifier.
It might be a big ask for even the broad shoulders of Veldwijk to bare the weight of being the answer to Bafana’s goal-scoring woes in such an important match.
“It must be a big pressure. I’m his father and to be honest, I’m always a little bit nervous when the big games are there‚” Harry Veldwijk said.
“I don’t know how he will handle it. He always tells me when he’s nervous but that’s normal game nervousness. This is going to be a big match.
“In the Netherlands he played a championship game in the lower leagues and that was also a big game. But this definitely will be the biggest one until now.
“I’m getting a bit nervous already. For him to be in the squad on Saturday ‚ that will be enough for me.
“I’m not sure if he will start but if he would get a few minutes‚ that would be awesome.
“I hope my being here helps calm him. I think I needed to be here. It’s a bit difficult for him‚ because it’s a new country.
“And there’s also a lot of stuff ongoing‚ because not everything is completely arranged. So I think he needed support. And if its your kid and you get moments like this‚ you have to share it.”
Veldwijk appears to have impressed Mashaba in training this week.
On Thursday, the striker from K V Kortrijk in Belgium was perhaps the only Bafana player not just hitting the target regularly in shooting practice but also placing the ball awkwardly far from the goalkeepers regularly and beating them too.
Afterwards, Mashaba appeared to strategically place himself next to the big‚ quiet man in the post-training team huddle and had a few quiet words with him.
Veldwijk has a surprisingly good touch with his feet‚ too‚ for such a big man. “That’s amazing‚ hey‚ for a guy who is so tall? He’s light on his feet and he hit it quite well in this training‚ yes‚” Harry Veldwijk said.
Harry Veldwijik’s parents emigrated from the Netherlands to South Africa in the ’50s‚ where he was born and spent his first 14 years until the family returned to their native country.
“As a small kid he was always playing with a football. When the sun went down, his mother or I always had to call him inside‚” Harry Veldwijk said.
“He played for a local team until he was about 16. Then he moved to a bigger club‚ and somebody spotted him and it all developed from there.”
This call-up is also the first time the younger Veldwijk has been to South Africa‚ though Harry Veldwijk has visited back “five or six times”.
Bafana biggest for Lars
Harry Veldwijk has travelled to South Africa to provide moral support to the 1.96m giant striker‚ his son Lars‚ who has impressed at training – perhaps enough to get the nod for even a start from Bafana Bafana coach Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba in the crucial Russia 2018 qualifier.
It might be a big ask for even the broad shoulders of Veldwijk to bare the weight of being the answer to Bafana’s goal-scoring woes in such an important match.
“It must be a big pressure. I’m his father and to be honest, I’m always a little bit nervous when the big games are there‚” Harry Veldwijk said.
“I don’t know how he will handle it. He always tells me when he’s nervous but that’s normal game nervousness. This is going to be a big match.
“In the Netherlands he played a championship game in the lower leagues and that was also a big game. But this definitely will be the biggest one until now.
“I’m getting a bit nervous already. For him to be in the squad on Saturday ‚ that will be enough for me.
“I’m not sure if he will start but if he would get a few minutes‚ that would be awesome.
“I hope my being here helps calm him. I think I needed to be here. It’s a bit difficult for him‚ because it’s a new country.
“And there’s also a lot of stuff ongoing‚ because not everything is completely arranged. So I think he needed support. And if its your kid and you get moments like this‚ you have to share it.”
Veldwijk appears to have impressed Mashaba in training this week.
On Thursday, the striker from K V Kortrijk in Belgium was perhaps the only Bafana player not just hitting the target regularly in shooting practice but also placing the ball awkwardly far from the goalkeepers regularly and beating them too.
Afterwards, Mashaba appeared to strategically place himself next to the big‚ quiet man in the post-training team huddle and had a few quiet words with him.
Veldwijk has a surprisingly good touch with his feet‚ too‚ for such a big man. “That’s amazing‚ hey‚ for a guy who is so tall? He’s light on his feet and he hit it quite well in this training‚ yes‚” Harry Veldwijk said.
Harry Veldwijik’s parents emigrated from the Netherlands to South Africa in the ’50s‚ where he was born and spent his first 14 years until the family returned to their native country.
“As a small kid he was always playing with a football. When the sun went down, his mother or I always had to call him inside‚” Harry Veldwijk said.
“He played for a local team until he was about 16. Then he moved to a bigger club‚ and somebody spotted him and it all developed from there.”
This call-up is also the first time the younger Veldwijk has been to South Africa‚ though Harry Veldwijk has visited back “five or six times”.
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