Thierry Henry names Kaizer Chiefs legend as his best SA player

Arsenal and France legend Thierry Henry has named a former Kaizer Chiefs star as the South African player he admires the most.

Henry was in South Africa over the weekend for the Soweto derby and took time to give his insights about the game.

The legendary striker was taken aback by the way both Orlando Pirates and Chiefs fans could easily mingle and even sit together in the stands.

Henry surprised by Soweto derby tradition

“You can see the mix of the colours in the stands. This is something that is very rare for me,” he told SuperSport TV.

“Usually, when you have a derby, you separate from the fans, you don’t walk together to the stadium, you definitely do not sit together at the stadium and that is what makes this derby unique.

“It is a derby that does not divide the country by the fact that people are okay with each other, sitting with each other.”

Henry was then asked to name which South African player he admires the most and he went back in time, picking a Bafana Bafana and Chiefs legend.

Which SA player does Arsenal icon admire?

“I don’t have a favourite South African player at the moment because to reach that level, you need years and years and years but the one that I always used to like when I used to watch players in my time, because I played against that team that won the Africa Cup of Nations [in 1996],” he added.

“You all know the team; the [Phil] Masinga, [Mark] Fish, [Lucas] Radebe but Doctor Khumalo was the player that I used to like with the way he played the game,” Henry stated, picking the man who helped South Africa to their only Africa Cup of Nations crown.

Khumalo is regarded as one of the best players produced by South Africa and besides winning the AFCON with Bafana Bafana, he also guided Chiefs to numerous trophies, including three league titles.