Where are they now: Former Arcadia Shepherds star Geoff Wegerle

Geoff Wegerle stands on the edge of the box. A corner is taken from the right. The ball swerves towards the Arcadia Shepherds winger, who shoots with his left foot diagonally into the top right corner.

It's the opening goal in a National Football League match between the Pretoria-based side and Durban United. Shepherds win 2-1.

It's 1969 and Wegerle is 15.

The talented winger goes on to score more than 100 league goals in South Africa before finishing his career in the US 20 years later.

Arcadia won the league title in 1974, thanks mainly to Wegerle's 20 goals.

His scoring record was amazing for a left wing. He was quick, straightforward in the way he played and he had a nose for goal, thanks to his ability of arriving in the box at the right time.

Dutch side Feyenoord signed Geoff, and older brother and dribbling wizard Steve, on one-year contracts in 1975 at a time when Dutch football was admired across the world.

The Dutch club were the 1970 European champions and the Netherlands reached the 1974 World Cup final, losing 2-1 to Germany.

"It felt like a dream come true," says Wegerle, drinking cappuccino in Johannesburg.

The Wegerles are a soccer family. Younger brother Roy represented the US at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups as a naturalised player.

Their grandparents came from Stuttgart and arrived in South Africa shortly after World War Two.

The brothers' stay at Feyenoord wasn't easy because, at the time, European clubs had few places for foreign players. "That's why most foreigners were older, experienced internationals," saysWegerle.

The brothers only stayed for a season, although he scored one league goal.

"We were two naive boertjies. Don't forget, I was 21 while Steve was 22. Non-European players are nowadays given time to settle, especially when they are so young. Given more time, we would definitely have succeeded in Holland."

He didn't allow the setback to affect his career. In the years that followed, he played for Arcadia Shepherds and also joined many South African players in the American professional league, the NASL. He played for the Oakland Stompers (1978) and Toronto Blizzard (1983 and 1984).

One of Wegerle's South African teammates at Toronto was former Kaizer Chiefs playmaker, the late Ace Ntsoelengoe.

"Ace is the best South African player of all time. He was a complete player with a high work rate; his running off the ball was excellent and his vision was unbelievable."

The South African league became multiracial in 1978 and Wegerle finished twice as runner-up behind Kaizer Chiefs - with Arcadia Shepherds in 1979 and Highlands Park (1981).

"The Amakhosi had a fantastic side. They mixed individual skill with the ability to play as a unit," he says.

Ryder Mofokeng was the Chiefs right back and captain and he recalls: "Geoff was always buzzing. He was difficult to mark as he was very skilful and he had speed, as well."

Wegerle returned to the US in 1983. When the NASL folded at the end of 1984, he turned to indoor soccer and returned home after hanging up his boots in 1989.

He now runs a company that imports specialised screws. His brothers, Steve and Roy, remained in the US.

The former winger doesn't watch many PSL games because he believes too many players want to entertain the crowd instead of looking for ways to score.

"Soccer is about winning and to win one has to score goals. Fancy footwork without a purpose doesn't create goals.

"The present crop of players should watch footage of former Moroka Swallows winger Ace Mnini.

"He would get the ball, run at you, leave you behind and cross the ball for the striker to score. That's football."

He is not impressed, either, with Bafana left winger Siphiwe Tshabalala. "He doesn't create enough opportunities for others to score."

Despite his criticism of Bafana, Wegerle will support the team at the World Cup in June and has already bought tickets for the opening match between Bafana and Mexico.

"It will be tough to reach the second round. Sometimes you need a bit of luck in soccer. If we have that, Bafana will survive the group stage," he says.