Bafana coach issues warning to Percy Tau

Bafana coach issues warning to Percy Tau

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has defended his decision to exclude Percy Tau from the recent two international friendlies and warned the Al Ahly forward to return to action or risk losing his place for good. 

South Africa beat Mozambique 2-1 last Thursday and drew 1-1 with Angola on Sunday from the two games played at the Mbombela Stadium in Nelspruit. 

With Broos giving a few new faces a chance to impress ahead of his side’s crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Liberia only in March, the Belgian-born mentor was asked whether he will consider Tau then. 

“I think if you put Percy in this game, he plays half an hour. He didn’t play…Percy didn’t play for four months. And then you will put him now in a game like this? It’s impossible for him, impossible,” said Broos. 

Since the start of the Egyptian Premier League last month, the 28-year-old has only managed two appearances and his lack of game time also coincides with the departure of coach Pitso Mosimane, now in Saudi Arabia. 

“He doesn’t have the physique now to play these game. I pray that Percy will play somewhere in Ahly, or wherever…so that he again has the tempo of the game and gets used to playing the game,” Broos added. 

"Don’t think I don’t know the qualities that Percy Tau has, and that I don’t want to take him. But who is it going to help if you take him now? Not the team, and not himself.

“We can’t do this for now. But let’s hope that after the new year, or maybe now in Egypt because the competition is going on, that he is playing and that he is ready in March. He can be something extra for our team – certainly.”