Despite being reportedly keen on a move the Rise And Shine winger could be better off seeing out the season with his current club.
In the last two transfer windows, Polokwane City's 23-year-old winger has attracted the attention of various big clubs and found himself the subject of much rumour and conjecture in the media as to his next destination.
Algerian side MC Algiers and Tunisia's Esperance Sportive de Tunis joined PSL sides Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns in having bids rejected in the winter window as Rise And Shine showed themselves to be stubborn and fierce negotiators.
More recently with the January window now open, both the Soweto giants are said to be preparing cash-plus player offers for the speedster but is it really in his best interests to make the move mid-season to a Chiefs side that is struggling for form and consistency, or a Pirates team that is already well stocked in the attacking department and might see his game time reduced?
GOAL discusses whether the Bafana Bafana international should stay at Polokwane or move to a bigger club.
Why Appollis must stay put
In a recent video interview with GOAL former Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns defender David Kannemeyer urged Oswin Appollis to ignore transfer offers in January and stick with Polokwane City for at least the rest of this season.
Kannemeyer knows what he is talking about as he waited until he was 24 years old and had 184 PSL appearances under his belt before making the journey to Kaizer Chiefs and then onto Mamelodi Sundowns in his prime.
But in Appollis' case, the former left-back is more concerned with the winger's national team status and believes playing week in and week out for Polokwane City is more likely to catch Hugo Broos' eye than struggling to adapt to a high-profile, big-money mid-season transfer.
After all, the interest in his services in the end of season window is unlikely to go away.
Go to Kaizer Chiefs Oswin
The Nasreddine Nabi revolution has stalled at Naturena and it could do with fresh impetus. Appollis would be a perfect tonic for long-suffering Chiefs fans who watch their team waste possession and chances every week, while still being shaky at the back despite a huge investment there in the winter window.
No less than Amakhosi legend Doctor Khumalo is dead keen on seeing Appollis move to Chiefs and 16V himself revealed a conversation he had with Appollis after handing over a Man of the Match cheque to the winger after a recent Bafana match.
When Khumalo asked the 23-year-old straight out why he had not joined the club yet, he reportedly replied: “It’s not me coach, it’s not me legend. I don’t know why am I not able to join Chiefs."
Surely Pirates is his best bet?
The Buccaneers are flying under Jose Riveiro. They have won several domestic cups under the Spaniard's tutelage, are in the knockout stages of the Caf Champions League with a game to spare, and are hard on the heels of perennial league winners Mamelodi Sundowns with a determination to turn their last two years of distant second place finishes into a league trophy win.
With Monnapule Saleng out of favour and possibly heading out the door and an array of young, exciting talent developing their game under a coach who knows how to handle youngsters, The Bucs could just be the perfect environment for Appollis to take his game to the next level.
The case for Mamelodi Sundowns
There is nothing that can be said about the seven-in-a-row domestic league champions that hasn't already been said. Their only blight on the copybook is the lack of a second Caf Champions League star above the famous badge.
They are also likely the only club with deep enough pockets to just slap down the type of cash that would make Polokwane City say, "SOLD!"
But a word of warning here for Oswin... how many Next Big Thing players have headed to Chloorkop sure in their talent and abilities just to find themselves not quite as good as they had hoped and consigned to the Brazilians reserves and hopeful loan moves to try to reignite their careers?
What about the north Africans?
As mentioned in the intro, Algerian side MC Algiers and Tunisia's Esperance Sportive de Tunis both had bids turned down in the last transfer window. That was, however, during those mad months when South African players were suddenly in high demand and the likes of Khanyiso Mayo, Elias Mokwana and Cassius Mailula all ended up moving up north.
All three players have since struggled to settle and show their worth which has probably put paid to the trend of the big Moroccan, Tunisian, and, with Percy Tau acrimoniously on his way out of Al Ahly, Egyptian clubs experimenting with players from the southern-most tip of Africa.
Probably for the best as Appollis would be best served staying in the PSL where Hugo Broos can keep an eye on him.
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