Percy Tau
(Photo by Darren Stewart/Gallo Images)
- Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos omitted Percy Tau from the squad due to recent criticism of his performances and to protect the player from undue pressure.
- Tau’s uncertain situation at Al Ahly, including limited playing time and transfer speculation, further influenced Broos’ decision.
- The Belgian stressed the need for fully fit and mentally prepared players for the vital Afcon qualifiers against Uganda and South Sudan.
- For more Bafana news, go to the News24 dedicated local soccer page.
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has shed light on his decision to leave Percy Tau out of the final squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
After whittling down his original 38-man squad to the final 23 players who will clash with Uganda at Orlando Stadium on Friday, 6 September, and then travel to face South Sudan on Tuesday, 10 September, Broos cited two key factors for leaving out the Al Ahly talisman.
“Percy Tau, it was not an easy decision for me not to select him. But there were two things that I took in account, ” Broos revealed during the live broadcast on SABC as he announced his squad on Thursday.
“First of all, Percy received a lot of criticism for the moment when he plays for Bafana Bafana, so I tried to protect him and support him for the game against Algeria, he was not there.
“But then you see after the game against Nigeria, it was again the same thing. So, ja, they don’t like him for the moment, and they expect too much about him.”
Back in June, Broos fiercely defended Tau, who had become a lightning rod for criticism after an underwhelming Afcon campaign.
Despite Bafana’s bronze medal, Tau – typically a beacon of creativity – struggled and ended the tournament with just one goal and a solitary assist over five matches.
To ease the burden on Tau, Broos controversially left him out of the friendlies against Andorra and Algeria in March.
Tau, ever the fighter, wasn’t pleased with the decision, but it was a move by Broos to shield his star player from the mounting pressure.
Tau eventually returned to the national team for the World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Nigeria in June, determined to silence his critics.
Now, Broos has once again taken a bold step, opting to leave Tau out of the squad for the upcoming Afcon qualifiers.
His reasoning? A lack of minutes on the pitch for Al Ahly, where Tau’s future hangs in the balance as whispers of a potential transfer swirl.
With the current window still open, the Red Devils could cash in on their South African gem, leaving both Tau’s club and international careers at a crossroads.
“I had contact with him, and he said, ‘Yes, but this is part of the game’. But somebody who tells me that it doesn’t affect him, he’s lying,” said Broos.
“So, I know that it affects you because you love your country, you want to play, and you don’t have the feedback from the supporters.
READ | Bafana boss turns to four debutants for Afcon qualifiers as injured Williams, Tau miss out
“Secondly, the situation in Al Ahly, for the moment, is not clear. There are a lot of rumours. He’s going to leave perhaps, there’s a problem with the transfer fee and he don’t play anymore.
“From the beginning of August, he just played 17 minutes, and all the other games he was not even on the bench. His situation is not good, and I was little bit afraid with all that, that Percy, for the moment, is not really ready.
“We need the players who are ready, not only physically, but also mentally, because those two games, the first games of qualifiers are very important.
“You can’t make a mistake. Now you have to win those two games, and that’s the reason why I decided not to take Percy for those two games,” Broos concluded.
Broos and his selected squad for the Afcon qualifiers are expected to gather on Sunday and Monday for camp in Johannesburg.
