Bafana Bafana midfielder Luke le Roux heads to Belgium with Cercle Brugge

by Chumasande Matiwane

Bafana Bafana midfielder Luke le Roux has secured a return to European football after joining Belgian Pro League outfit Cercle Brugge. 

Also see: Pitso Mosimane’s Bafana Bafana assistant coach confirmed

Cercle Brugge confirmed the signing yesterday, announcing that the 26-year-old South African midfielder had joined the club as a free agent. The Belgian side revealed that le Roux has signed a two-year contract.  

Also see: Bafana Bafana get home advantage for AFCON 2027 opener

Le Roux arrives at Cercle Brugge following his departure from English Championship club Portsmouth. His move to Belgium represents another chapter in an increasingly international career that has also taken him to Sweden and the Netherlands. 

The 1.84m central midfielder began his senior career in South Africa before moving to Sweden, where he established himself with Varbergs BoIS. He later played for Dutch club FC Volendam and Swedish side IFK Värnamo before making the move to England. 

According to SuperSport, his transfer to Portsmouth in July 2025 was reported as a club-record sale for Värnamo, with the midfielder signing a three-year contract. SuperSport also reported that, at international level, le Roux has represented South Africa at several age-group levels before making his Bafana Bafana debut in 2022. 

Cercle Brugge’s announcement lists him as a nine-cap South African international.  

The move to Belgium gives le Roux another opportunity to compete in a European top-flight environment.  

Cercle Brugge competes in the Belgian Pro League, Belgium’s top division, making the transfer an important step as the midfielder looks to re-establish himself at club level and remain in the international picture with Bafana Bafana. 

For Cercle Brugge, le Roux adds experience and physicality to the midfield, while the player will hope his time in Belgium provides the platform for regular football and continued progression in Europe. 

Also see: Bafana Bafana reach No. 54 in FIFA world rankings 

Be the first to know – Join our WhatsApp channel for content worth tapping into. Click here to join!