With his one-season loan deal at Chippa United in its final month, Scenery Park winger Aphelele Teto is expected to depart for Scotland and reunite with his parent club, Livingston.
Livingston’s management and his representative had a recent meeting during which head coach David Martindale reiterated how much he valued the 21-year-old’s style of play, especially with the club being promoted to the Scottish Premiership.
Two weeks ago, Livingston beat Ross County in the play-offs and earned a place in the top flight from which they were relegated a season ago.
Teto, who signed a four-year deal with Livingston in 2023 from PSL side TS Galaxy, was denied a work permit twice by the governing body endorsement panel to play for Livingston because he did not have a national cap.
As a result, he returned to SA and joined Chippa for a short stint this season to get minutes under his belt and have a shot at getting national honours.
He eventually got his stripes when he came on off the bench in Bafana Bafana’s Chan qualifier against Egypt in Bloemfontein in March.
“He needed a few international caps to reapply for his visa,” Teto’s representative, Carlos Mtshamba, said.
“The only missing piece was that he did not have any national cap.
“So he couldn’t get his permit, but now he has and it makes him eligible to go back to Scotland.
“I have been speaking with coach Martindale, and he wants him back to train with the team as they prepare for the Scottish season.”
In the Livingston senior team front line, Teto will work with fellow Africans, Nigerian Meshack Ubochioma and South Sudanese Tete Yengi, who now plays for Australia, and the likes of Scottish players Robbie Muirhead.
Livingston’s notable successes in Europe include qualifying for the Uefa Cup in their maiden season in the top flight in 2001 and finishing third behind Celtic and Rangers after they were promoted from the Scottish First Division the previous year.
They also won the Scottish League Cup in 2004.
With the PSL season ending three weeks ago, Teto is in East London keeping fit at the Carlos Academy which developed him before he joined TS Galaxy a few seasons back.
Daily Dispatch
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