14 February 2002
Nourredine Naybet has long been ranked among Africa's best defenders and it was a moment of some significance when the Morocco captain approached Sibusiso Zuma to exchange shirts after Bafana Bafana had beaten his side 3-1 to progress to the Nations Cup quarter-finals.
Naybet was clearly impressed by the youngster who had scored the opening goal, beating the stranded captain on the goalline.
And he was not the only one to fall for the South African on the night as his sublime touches, explosive pace and willingness to work tirelessly up and down the right flank was witnessed by agents from several top European clubs.
This rite of passage would have meant a lot to Zuma. The FC Copenhagen star saw the Nations Cup as his platform to impress. And he was able to do that despite the fact that his country's interest ended with defeat to Mali in the quarter-finals.
He said earlier: "I want to use the tournament as a window. If I am outstanding, maybe my value will increase and that is what I want - to secure a big contract with a big club."
Zuma says that for Copenhagen he has been "combining the European style of pace and quick movement with homegrown skills," but, although he is grateful for the opportunities playing in the Danish League, he believes "the game in Denmark is too slow for me".
Top clubs have already been knocking at Copenhagen's door, with Arsenal reportedly dangling a oe5 million carrot after Zuma caught their eye in the early rounds of this season's Champions' League.
He had already won the Danish Footballer of the Year award and scored the goal of the season with a tremendous overhead kick against Brondby that clinched the 2001 League title. Then he won the Michael Laudrup Award for Danish Sportsman of the Year.
It is not that Zuma is desperate to leave Denmark immediately - he is committed to seeing out his contract, which expires at the end of this season. But, turning 27 this June, he knows he has to keep moving onwards and upwards to maintain the trajectory of his rise to stardom.
And South Africa's Nations Cup-winning coach of 1996, Clive Barker, has been left in no doubt that Zuma has the pedigree to succeed on the big stage.
"Zuma is a match-winner. He's classy, an athlete, very easy. He knows where the goal is.
He is simply special," Barker, who was part of the South Africa coaching team in Mali, said.
Copenhagen signed Zuma from Orlando Pirates in early 2000 for oe250,000 and "now they want to sell him for oe6.2 million. Even the big corporations don't make such profit," Barker continued.
"All the same, I believe he will move on once his contract is up."
Zuma signed for Copenhagen quite by chance. The club were in South Africa during their mid-season break, playing friendlies and running the eye over talent in the Eastern Cape town of Port Elizabeth, where they run a soccer school, when Zuma was spotted on television, starring for Orlando Pirates.(ACONS)
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