"They are always on their bicycles," Mduduzi 'Mdu' Shabalala has noticed about the Dutch people. "That's something which does not happen so often in South Africa."

Of course, it helps that in most cities in the Netherlands there are special bike lanes, which makes it much safer to ride around on a bicycle than in other countries, such as South Africa. And, the country’s landscape is flat, so it is easier to cycle.

No wonder therefore that the country has an estimated 22.3 million bikes for a population of 17.6 million, with many people owning more than one bike.

"I will soon have a ride on a bike myself," Shabalala says with a huge smile on his face.

The 21-year-old won the 2025 Nedbank Cup with Kaizer Chiefs, which was brilliant. Less good obviously was finishing in ninth position in the Betway Premiership League.

The attacking midfielder, who can also play on both wings, joined the Bafana Bafana squad for the Cosafa Tournament in Bloemfontein after the end of the domestic soccer season, ultimately reaching the final, only to lose 3-0 to Angola.

Shabalala made his South African national team debut in the goalless draw against Mauritius on 10 June 2025. He started as well in the 3-1 win over the Comoros and came on as a substitute in the final. Thus, he has now attained three Bafana Bafana caps.

'Mdu' played in 33 matches (league and cup) for Amakhosi last season, scoring four times and providing two assists.

"I started the season well," he reflects, "but I didn't finish on a high note. As a team, we learnt that we need to manage ourselves better and we need to concentrate more on our finishing. Doubtlessly, we definitely want to win more of our home games next season to be able to compete for top positions on the league table."

On the Cosafa Cup, Shabalala comments: "Being selected for the national team was a huge honour. It was also good for my self-confidence and the games taught me a lot. I have no doubt I will be able to take all these lessons to the CAF Confederations Cup, for which we, as Kaizer Chiefs, qualified.

"A lot of other African countries play football differently than us, being very physical. I also learnt a lot about the mental aspect of the game of football during my stint with Bafana. So, I gained really valuable insights and experiences that will improve my game in the future."

Shabalala went on trial at Belgian side KVC Westerlo in April 2022. Belgium is a neighbouring country of the Netherlands, where Amakhosi are presently doing their pre-season training session, based in Apeldoorn.

"I can see comparisons between the two countries," he says. "The environment in both nations is inspiring. It's quiet. And, especially now in pre-season, that quietness helps you to reflect, to learn about yourself and to have the right attitude to take your game to the next level."

On Tuesday, 8 July, the Glamour Boys will play their first training match against Dutch first division side Vitesse.

"So far, so good," 'Mdu' reflects about pre-season. "All players are fighting for a position in the first team. It's a fiery, but healthy competition.

"However, with regard to the training matches in the Netherlands - we are here to learn. It's not so much about the result. We want to take all these learning experiences with us back to South Africa. For sure, we will compete in our training matches, but more importantly, to get better as a team. That's our objective."