Percy Tau’s absence from the Bafana Bafana squad for next month’s World Cup qualifiers certainly leaves a potentially gaping hole in the national team’s attack.
Tau has been Bafana’s talisman for some time, and to be without him has to be regarded as dismaying news for Bafana head coach Hugo Broos, heading into back-to-back matches against Ethiopia next month.
Then again, the games against Ethiopa in Addis Ababa on 9 October and back home on 11 October (a venue has yet to be announced) also give Broos an opportunity to continue building a young Bafana team, not necessarily reliant on old-ish heads like Tau.
There was evidence of such already in the games against Zimbabwe and Ghana in September, where Bafana picked up a 1-0 win over the Black Stars with the lone strike coming not from Tau, but from Maritzburg United prodigy Bongokuhle Hlongwane.
It must be added that Tau had a perfectly good first half goal ruled out for a non-existent off-side in the first half, but in general the Al-Ahly man was not at his immensely influential best over the two matches.
Ethiopia have given Bafana problems in the past, taking four points off South Africa in ultimately denying them a place in the 2014 Fifa World Cup qualifying play-offs.
But in terms of standing on the continental stage, this is the Group G team you would probably be more comfortable facing without your most recognisable attacking talent.
Broos’ Bafana selection, meanwhile, has stuck mainly to his principles of picking a young side, with one eye on the future, and also picking players on form, as opposed to reputation.
As such, Tshegofatso Mabasa of Orlando Pirates is rewarded for a good start to the season with Orlando Pirates, as are Vincent Pule and Goodman Mosele.
And there is also reward for many who did well for Bafana in the Cosafa Cup, and carried tha form into September’s games, notably midfielder Ethan Brooks, who has been singled out fo praise by Broos for his performance against Ghana.
Back to the striking department, as well as Mabasa, Victor Letsoalo has been in fine form for Royal AM, while Thabiso Kutumela is starting to thrive in a Mamelodi Sundowns jersey and Hlongwane and Evidence Makgopa have both made impressive starts to their fledgling Bafana careers.
It is interesting to see, too, Broos’ preparedness to go for Premier Soccer League talent, partly forced by Covid-19 affecting Portugal-based Siphesihle Sithole and Thibang Phete.
Broos is clearly upset at passport issues that affected Luther Singh’s chances of playing for FC Copenhagen in Denmark, denying him regular game time up to now at his new club.
Singh has long been seen as Bafana’s up-and-coming new attacking talent, but it seems that if the current squad members impresss against Ethiopia, it could be a difficult road back for him.
Broos has impressed so far as head coach, on the pitch with four points from two games, but also off it, in his assertion that this is a meritocracy, and names are not guaranteed a place in the team.
So far his words have been backed up by action – long may it continue.
