Bafana Bafana’s Coach concerned by Stars lack of regular football ahead of Afcon qualifiers
Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki has expressed concern that forward Percy Tau is not playing regular football at Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion ahead of next month’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
South Africa host Ghana in a Group C match on March 25, before travelling to Sudan for their final qualifying match three days later reports goal.com
With Ntseki finalising his squad for the two games, he is worried by the lack of game time to some of his star players including Tau who arrived in England in January from loan stints in Belgium, The former Mamelodi Sundowns star is currently South Africa’s player with the biggest profile but he is struggling for game time at his club
The former Mamelodi Sundowns player has not featured in Brighton’s last six Premier League games with his last appearance being in January against Leeds United.
Since then, he has only been used in the FA Cup against Blackpool and Leicester City.
“In Europe‚ when Percy Tau joined Brighton he played and I was happy with his performances‚ but for the last three matches or so he has not played,” Ntseki told Times Live.
“Dean Furman’s league [League 2] was suspended by Covid and only came back last week. Kamohelo Mokotjo is still in South Africa – the league has not started in the US.
“It has been very difficult because I would say 78 percent of our players who were selected in the past two games [wins against Sao Tome in November 2020] are not playing regularly‚ in Europe‚ and in SA. For example, Sundowns have been playing in Africa‚ and also the Nedbank Cup and the league.
“Kermit Erasmus normally comes on in the second half‚ or he will start and be replaced. Thapelo Morena has been injured. At AmaZulu‚ we had Siyethemba Sithebe in the last squad‚ and he has been injured.
“At Pirates, Innocent Maela played for the first time at the weekend when I went to watch them against Jwaneng Galaxy.”
On top of some of his key players not playing regular club football, Ntseki feels that not physically attending PSL matches inside stadiums has disturbed his scouting programme.
