Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has opened up on the future of vice-captain Percy Tau who was not named in the final 23-man squad for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Tau, 30, was said to be heading out of Al Ahly in the off-season but later rubbished those claims, which were supported by his starting berth in the CAF Super Cup final against Zamalek SC last week in Riyadh.
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For all the speculation around his future, the attacking talisman has not been at his fluent best in the national team and Broos previously left him out of the squad for the FIFA Series fixtures against Andorra and Algeria, citing that he was protecting the forward.
“I don’t know, I see things happening, we don’t have to… but I will repeat it, after AFCON, they killed him, they really killed him and it was not fair,” Broos said.
“Okay he was not really the decisive player, he was not really fantastic but he did his job. And after I didn’t call him for Algeria, he told me, but coach it’s part of the game.
“Yes, it’s part of the game [but the criticism] is in your mind, don’t tell me it’s not in your mind. He came back against Zimbabwe and Nigeria and again it started.”
Tau has now been omitted from the squad that will do battle against Congo Brazzaville at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium and at the Stade Alphonse Massemba-Débat on the 11th and 15th of October.
“Then there was the troubles, with Al Ahly, he wasn’t playing, they talked about him leaving, he’s not leaving, now I heard they want him to stay, so it’s yes or no, yes or no. The fact that he’s not here now are for personal reasons,” he continued.
“Personal issues, he asked me, coach, please don’t call me, I’m not ready to come because of personal issues, what can I say? You have to come? Then he’s not ready… maybe he has to look for another team where he will be more happy, less problems.
“So that we have at least the old, well-known Percy Tau from a few years ago and I hope for it, we know the qualities of Percy can help us a lot.
“But we have to be honest also, and evaluate the performances with the national team, it’s never been [at the level] of his qualities as a player, he can do more for the national team, I’m sure. But yeah, there’s always something that [prevents] those big performances.”
Tau has scored 15 goals with six assists in 46 appearances for Bafana since making his debut under then-coach Shakes Mashaba in 2015.
