Back to football, as the recent international break sent a lot of players back to their native countries to represent their national teams. Among them was South Africa's Dino Ndlovu, who lines up for China League One club Zhejiang Greentown. And as Sias Du Plessis reports, the striker enjoyed a solid first season, for the side that wears stripes. CGTN's Sias du Plessis caught up with him.

South Africa's national team boasts players plying their trade all over the globe, including in France, Belgium, England, and China, where striker Dino Ndlovu has just completed his first season in League One, and has impressed in his debut in the country's second division.

DINO NDLOVU ZHEJIANG GREENTOWN FORWARD "For me it was quite challenging. Mandarin is one of the hardest languages you can learn, not knowing the surroundings, not knowing the culture, but as soon as my family came to support me, it became easy, but so far so good. I can't complain. I love the country, love the people. Only the basics, 'Ni Hao' and 'Xie Xie,' those are the type of basics I know, but there is other stuff I know, but I cannot really construct a sentence."

The 28-year-old's club side finished third and just missed out on promotion to the Super League, but with a season tally of 19 goals, Ndlovu says he is happy with his first contribution.

DINO NDLOVU 19 GOALS FOR ZHEJIANG GREENTOWN "I was short with one goal that I could reach my goals. It is not the end of the world, I think for my first season in another continent, another city. It was something for me that I think I've pushed myself so hard that I could accomplish what I accomplished."

The former Mamelodi Sundowns player maintains he is happy in China, but is considering offers after an impressive start to his career in the East.

DINO NDLOVU 19 GOALS FOR ZHEJIANG GREENTOWN "So far we had a few contacts in the Super League. I hope that something would come up for me, but if nothing comes up, the club have offered me a new contract, and I told them that I am focusing on the national team, and will decide those things when I get back to China."

SIAS DU PLESSIS JOHANNESBURG "The well-travelled striker boasts stints in Israel, Cyprus, and Azerbaijan, and believes that all the experiences have seen him become a better player, and as a result he has been rewarded with a national call. But the talented forward says China is now his home, and a place where he would like to continue playing, and scoring many more goals. Sias du Plessis, CGTN, Johannesburg."