SV Ried assistant coach Moritz Kossmann has praised the progress made by Jaedin Rhodes since the former Cape Town City FC winger moved to Austria, saying the 23-year-old has already made a positive contribution to the team.

Rhodes joined the Austrian club in July 2026 after spending five years developing his career at Cape Town City. His move to Europe marked an important step in his career, as it was his first professional football contract outside South Africa.

The Cape Town-born winger came through the development structures at Hellenic FC academy and Cape Town City, where he gained experience in both the Betway Premiership and the Motsepe Foundation Championship.

According to Kossmann, Rhodes arrived at SV Ried with a good foundation and has shown the maturity needed to adapt to a demanding environment. He also joined a team where South African midfielder and former Kaizer Chiefs captain Yusuf Maart had already established himself.

Rhodes has made 10 appearances across different competitions for SV Ried this season, recording four assists. Although an injury interrupted his progress for several weeks, he has since returned to action and has been involved in the starting line-up.

Speaking to FARPost, Kossmann explained that the winger made a good impression from the beginning and has already brought value to the team.

“He came in and displayed from the get-go a good level of maturity. I think he has added value already,” said Kossmann.

The assistant coach also highlighted Rhodes contribution in the Austrian Cup and league matches, where he has provided important assists.

“He has got a couple of assists in the \[Austrian\] Cup, a couple of assists in the league and his performances have been good,” he added.

Kossmann acknowledged that Rhodes spent four or five weeks on the sidelines because of a muscle injury. However, he explained that such setbacks can happen when players move to a higher level of competition, where the physical demands are greater.

The coach is pleased that Rhodes has returned to playing regularly and believes he is becoming an important member of the squad.

“But he has been playing and starting for a host of weeks already now. And, yeah, just like Yusuf, he’s an important part of why the team is currently doing very well,” Kossmann said.

His progress in Austria could also strengthen his chances of returning to the Bafana Bafana setup. Rhodes already has three senior international appearances after being included in the South African squad for the 2024 COSAFA Cup.

Kossmann believes the experience of playing in Europe can help the winger develop further and eventually compete for a regular place in the national team.

Asked whether he could see Rhodes representing Bafana again in the future, the SV Ried assistant coach was confident in his response.

“In future, can I see Jaedin play for Bafana? Of course, I can,” he said.

Kossmann explained that the club sees potential in players arriving from South Africa and believes Rhodes has the ability to take further steps in his career.

However, he also acknowledged that competition for attacking positions in the national team is strong. Oswin Appollis, Relebohile Mofokeng, Tshepang Moremi, Thapelo Maseko, Tashreeq Matthews and Puso Dithejane are among the players competing for opportunities in the wide attacking positions.

Despite the competition, Kossmann believes Rhodes can put himself in contention if he continues improving and performs consistently at club level.

The coach added that South Africa has plenty of quality in the wide areas, but expressed hope that Rhodes will continue developing and eventually get another opportunity to represent his country.

For now, the former Cape Town City player will be focused on maintaining his place at SV Ried, contributing to the team and making the most of his first experience playing football in Europe.

Source: FARPost