Luther Singh earns Bafana Bafana recall after career-best season in Cyprus

Luther Singh has been recalled to the Bafana Bafana squad after rebuilding his career with AEL Limassol and producing the best goalscoring season of his career.

The 28-year-old winger scored nine league goals in 26 appearances during the 2025/26 campaign, including three in his final four matches. That form carried him to fourth in the Cyprus League scoring charts, one goal short of reaching double figures in a league season for the first time.

Singh’s performances have earned him a return to the national team under new coach Pitso Mosimane. He made his Bafana debut in 2017 and has won 13 caps, but had not featured for South Africa since his difficult spell at FC Copenhagen.

Singh joined the Danish club from SC Braga in August 2021 on a contract running until the summer of 2025. FC Copenhagen’s sports director Peter Christiansen described the 23-year-old at the time as “an interesting player with great offensive potential”.

The move followed a promising period in Portugal, where Singh made 67 Primeira Liga appearances and scored 10 goals. That included five goals and five assists during his time with FC Pacos de Ferreira.

However, his hopes of making an impact in Denmark were disrupted almost immediately. In November 2021, only three months after his arrival, FC Copenhagen said Singh had been admitted to hospital for observation and testing after becoming ill during a UEFA Europa Conference League match against PAOK.

Head coach Jess Thorup later confirmed that the South African would be unavailable until the new year. The setback severely disrupted Singh’s time at the club before his Copenhagen career had properly begun.

He spent the following season on loan at Portuguese club CD Chaves, before FC Copenhagen and Singh agreed to terminate his contract with immediate effect in 2023.

Singh responded by starting again elsewhere. He signed a two-year deal with Serbian SuperLiga club FK Cukaricki in 2023, then moved to AEL Limassol, where he has now regained his form.

AEL Limassol finished the regular season eighth and were therefore required to enter the Relegation Playoffs. They currently sit 11 points above the relegation zone with seven matches remaining.

Singh’s route back to the international set-up has taken him through Portugal, Denmark, Serbia and Cyprus, following a move to Copenhagen that had initially been viewed as a step towards European football’s biggest stages.

His return under Mosimane marks a significant revival after illness, a lost season and the end of his contract in Denmark. Five years after the multi-million rand move to FC Copenhagen, Singh has earned another opportunity with Bafana Bafana.