Quwan Plaatjies set a new milestone for the Premier Soccer League era with his hattrick on debut last Friday, scoring all three goals as Stellenbosch beat Marumo Galants 3-1 at the Athlone Stadium but he is not the first to achieve the feat.
The 20-year-old Plaatjies had never kicked a ball in the top flight before Friday’s 3-1 win over Marumo Gallants and his debut is the most successful since Greg Hepburn scored for Crusaders against Real Taj in the National Soccer League in 1991.
It is one of only two other records of a hattrick on debut in South African football for Mpuso Ledimo of Welkom Real Hearts and Greg Hepburn at Crusaders.
Ledimo was signed by Welkom Real Hearts from Saaiplaas FC and netted a hattrick on debut as his new side beat Witbank Black Aces 5-1 at Thabong in October 1976 in the old National Professional Soccer League.
Hearts had their best finish that season by ending the campaign in sixth place
Hepburn was just past his 20th birthday when veteran Durban-based coach Billy McGillivray signed him to Stanger-based Crusaders, who were one of the six clubs from the Federation Professional League who had joined the NSL in the wake of the unity efforts between the disparate racial bodies controlling the game in South Africa, from which the South African Football Association was also born.
Hepburn, was born in Zimbabwe, made his debut in Crusaders’ 10th game of the season away against hosts Real Taj at Maritzburg in April 1991.
He had only been signed two days prior and after Dave Thomas had given Crusaders an early lead, Hepburn scored his hattrick for a 4-1 win.
“The first was a left-footed short from outside the box that-trickled in, the second I won a tackle on the halfway line and then pushed forward on the left wing and chipped the goalkeeper and the third hit the post and fell for me for an easy finish,” recalls Hepburn.
“By then even the home supporters were cheering for me,” he adds.
Hepburn, whose teammates included Clinton Larsen and Joel Faya, finished his debut season with 12 league goals and one in cup competition.
Not long after Mike Makaab took over at Manning Rangers in 1995, Hepburn returned to the pro ranks and was in the squad that won the first Premier Soccer League title in 1997 under Gordon Igesund.
Clive Barker signed him for AmaZulu in 1998, but he made two starts and left at the end of the campaign.
Centre back Keegan Allan is another with a penchant for dramatic debuts: He scored twice on his top flight debut at Swallows against AmaZulu four years ago this month. One of the goals was a penalty.
The next year, after a mid-season move to SuperSport United, he was sent off on his debut against Stellenbosch and on his third moved to AmaZulu, at the start of last season, scored on his debut against Marumo Gallants.