The new signing that Kaizer Chiefs have identified to strengthen their attacking line has been backed to make a success of his time playing in South Africa when he arrives from South America.
Efmamjjasond Gonzalez Palacios will be the latest Colombian at Chiefs after Leonardo Castro who left Naturena in June 2022 after the expiry of his contract.
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Gonzalez will come in at Chiefs on a season's loan having played back home in Colombia before spending almost four struggling to the demands of football in Argentina but comes after a successful spell with Real Santa Cruz in Bolivia where he has scored eight goals in 19 appearances.
All those nine goals came in the opening nine games while in his last seven league appearances Gonzalez has not scored.
"Priority for him should be taking an interest in the language because it helps with communication and fitting in instead of feeling isolated.
"Once you are familiar with the language it helps with understanding the coach and through the process of adapting," says Brazilian winger Danilo Julio who played for Bidvest Wits between 2006 and 2008.
"Since you say there is already another South American at Chiefs, that will help massively, and I can declare that he will not have any problems at all.
"If there is someone who speaks his language and is from the same continent everything will be easier for him when he gets there.
"Even though we are from different countries here in South America when we are out of the continent, we tend to help each other.
"With us, at Wits, we were helped by the fact that Eric Tinkler and Richard Ferreira spoke Portuguese, so they provided the link.
"I believe that language helps but this varies from player to player depending on circumstances.
"He is obviously coming to play football, so he needs to study the game and be informed about how it works in South Africa.
"The football in South Africa was a little bit faster for me compared to what I was used to here in Brazil and maybe this was due to the weather because here at home it got really hot in the summer.
"To me, I felt it was faster and got me thinking that in Brazil we have more patience in playing.
"PSL footballer was faster and more aggressive.
"The rest is the same because this is still football, and it doesn't take you long to get used.
"Luckily for him, it is not his first time being outside his home country of Colombia so that should at least give him a bit of an edge.
"If he has played in Argentina you need to understand that football in that country is a little bit hard and like playing in Europe.
"Argentines are usually built out to be tough, so it is not that easy to play in that league.
"If he has already played there, he will probably do well in South Africa.
"At 24, that is a good age but since he is coming to Kaizer Chiefs the expectations will be huge," says Julio.
South Africa has been a growing market for South Americans through the years and at present Mamelodi Sundowns have the most in Gaston Sirino (Uruguay), Marcelo Allende (Chile), Lucas Ribeiro Costa (Brazil), Junior Mendieta (Argentina), and Erwin Saavedra (Bolivia).
Cape Town City have Darwin Gonzalez (Venezuela) and Juan Zapata (Colombia).
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