Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has explained why he previously stated Percy Tau should leave Al Ahly, insisting the South African winger has completed an incredible turn-around.
Tau, 29, lifted his second CAF Champions League title on Sunday after Al Ahly beat Wydad Athletic Club 3-2 on aggregate following a hard-fought 1-1 draw in the second leg in Casablanca.
The Bafana winger struggled to have much impact on the game, but he was arguably Al Ahly’s most important player in the Champions League campaign, netting five goals and setting up five more – meaning he was involved in more CAFCL goals than any other player.
His second CAF Champions League after winning the 2016 edition with Mamelodi Sundowns, confirmed an incredible turn-around after he had battled injuries for large parts since arriving in Egypt.
Broos explained that he felt last year, Tau wasn’t ready for Bafana and hence he suggested maybe the skilful winger should leave, but he admitted that now Tau arrives in camp at a completely different level.
“When he’s coming to the national team he has to perform, but he wasn’t ready to perform one year ago,” he told journalists.
“With all the injuries he’s had, first of all. He didn’t play at Al Ahly. He hasn’t played and then he was again four-five weeks injured.
“At that time, when he came to the national team, he came out of injury. So he wasn’t ready.
“I said at the time, ‘I hope that he can leave Al Ahly and that he can go to a team where he is playing’. Because he’s very important for us, a fit Percy Tau is very important for Bafana.
“What I see now in the last months, he’s a standard player – he’s always playing and he plays good.
“The games I saw, certainly in the Champions League, also in the final, you that he is fresh and in very good shape. This is important for us.
“I know they won on Sunday and they will celebrate, it’s totally normal that he does it but when he comes here, he will be ready. I know he will perform with Bafana Bafana.
“He knows also that what we’ve seen from Percy, except for maybe Liberia, but what we saw before was not on his level, not good enough.
“So I’m very happy now what happened to him at Al Ahly and I’m looking forward.”
Tau has featured in 36 games for South African since making his debut Guinea-Bissau on 25 March 2017, netting 15 goals and setting up four more.
