BBK UNPLUGGED | Remember the name: Quwan Plaatjies

There are four posts on the Instagram page of Quwan Plaatjies. “Quwan who?” I hear you ask. Welcome back from Mars, buddy. Quwan Plaatjies is the laaitie who took a wondrous way to announce his arrival in the top flight of South African football.

As far as dream debuts go, they don’t come any better than what unfolded at a freezing Athlone Stadium on Friday night. There, a football upstart warmed the hearts of the few hundred fans who braved the cold to witness history in the making, an epoch also watched by thousands on television.

I was in the studio doing my live Power Sports Extra radio show when the new kid on the block, Plaatjies, started scribbling the first two stanzas of his football fairytale. I was driving home when the 20-year-old added the third, marking a milestone on Friday night that will forever remain etched as a special day in his life.

His was a storming start to his senior professional career, hitting a historic treble on debut, the first of the 2026-27 Betway Premiership season. Hopefully, the first of many more goals to come.

It was quite a handsome way to repay a gamble by veteran coach Gavin Hunt, who opted to start the greenhorn ahead of seasoned campaigners such as 2020-21 Premier Soccer League top goal-scorer Bradley Grobler and Ashley du Preez.

Hat-trick heaven

It is not his fault that the Marumo Gallants rearguard was so ramshackle it offered him a highway to hat-trick heaven.

What matters is that he took his chance with goals in the 13^th, 28^th and 54^th minutes to complete a scintillating showing that steered Stellenbosch FC to a 3-1 victory.

In the post-match interview, Plaatjies revealed to presenter Fiso Mazibuko that he dedicated the biggest day of his playing career to his departed mother.

Thereafter, Mazibuko and analysts Shaun Bartlett and Siyabonga Nkosi interviewed the couple who took Plaatjies in and raised him like their own son. Like a proud mother, the wife told a tale of how she transported Plaatjies to and from training, where he toiled and rose through the junior ranks.

My hope is for him to continue working hard while making sure that he enjoys life

The father thanked all the coaches at Stellies. They’ve been by his side and helped a boy with a burning desire to be a footballer achieve his dream.

Which brings me back to the four posts on the Instagram page of Plaatjies, which give a glimpse of his dedication and determination.

The first, posted on 8 November 2025, is a slide of six pictures, five of which are shots of Plaatjies in action for the Stellies Diski Development Challenge (DDC) side.

Can’t rush greatness

The sixth frame bears a simple message: “Work hard but make sure you enjoy life.”

The second, posted on November 16 2025, is a few-second reel of him dribbling his way past opponents which ends with the words: “Can’t rush greatness.”

The third is a four-frame collection of stills showing the boy in the hood and at training. The last photo portrays the player wearing the No 9 jersey dripping in silver confetti after Stellies DDC were crowned champions of the prestigious 2024 Premier League Next Generation Cup in England. They beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in the final at Loughborough University Stadium on August 4 2024.

An indication that Plaatjies loves to self-motivate is seen in the last frame, which is inscribed with: “Lord, when you do it for me, do it for those who looked out for me too.”

That couple is a shining example of how far an act of kindness can go in creating a bright future for someone who needs a helping hand. My hope is for Quwan not to rush greatness.

My hope is for him to continue working hard while making sure that he enjoys life.

My prayer is for him to continue asking his Lord to do for him so that he can do not only for those who looked out for him but also for those he can look out for too.

Remember the name. Quwan Plaatjies. What a way to introduce yourself, boytjie.

X-@bbkunplugged99