A Bafana Bafana and Mamelodi Sundowns legend, Booth spent close to eight successful years in Russia where he played for Krylya Sovetov Samara and FK Rostov in the Russian Premier League.
He believes that 19-year-old Bafana international and Ajax Cape Town stalwart Coetzee should make a switch to Europe, and has also lauded 23-year-old Sundowns midfielder Zungu for opting to move abroad.
“I think a lot of our players develop late. I would have loved to go overseas a lot earlier,” says Booth, arguably one of South Africa’s most successful exports to Europe.
“There’s a number of players who should have gone earlier. I can count with my one hand the number of player who went over as teenagers.
“You know Coetzee has the ability to go overseas, I don’t think at this stage I can see him playing in a very well established league, but I think if he gets a chance to go to Belgium or Holland, or Scandinavia like Sweden, he must take it just to put his foot in the door.
“Just look at Andile Jali, he could’ve stayed and asked for more money, but a guy mustn’t get into a comfort zone, you’ve got to take that opportunity.
“With Zungu moving to Portugal, I think we have to be realistic in that at the moment our national team is not in the greatest of shapes, you can’t expect a player to go from South Africa to a La Liga or English Premiership.
“So indeed a league like Portugal is perfect for him also because then he is able to adapt, he is able to sink or swim. And I think again Zungu has showed a lot of character by choosing to go over.
“And he’s been an absolute force for Sundowns and with that type of character, I am pretty sure he would do well there and then progress further in his career.”
Booth captained the South Africa Under-23 side at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and was also a part of the 2009 Confederations Cup and 2010 World Cup Bafana squads.
Upon his return from Russia in 2009, he returned to Sundowns for his second stint, and moved on to Ajax Cape Town and Bidvest Wits, where he retired after one season.