Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has praised the mentality of Percy Tau to insist on remaining part of the squad after suffering an injury.
Tau was an unused substitute for Bafana as they secured a vital 3-1 win over Zimbabwe on Tuesday evening at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.
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In what was the first South African national team match in the region since the 2010 FIFA World Cup, it was a packed arena as Broos side secured their target of four points from the two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria and The Warriors.
Amidst the praise and adulation, the attacking talisman over the past few years, Tau, has come under scrutiny from the public over his lack of goals and influence, which Broos brushed off after the 1-1 draw with the Super Eagles.
And he confirmed Tau was unavailable for selection last night, but the vice-captain insisted to remain part of the group.
“Percy is injured, he was injured after the game against Nigeria but we thought, I said it in the [pre-match] press conference, that he should be ready today but the treatment he had the last three days didn’t help so much,” Broos said.
“So we went to the hospital to make scans, and yes there’s a muscular injury. So he couldn’t play, but again that shows, he wanted to be on the bench, it shows how this group is, so he supported the guys on the pitch. He’s even happier than everyone else.”
South Africa moved to second in the group with seven points from the opening four games, separated by goal difference with leaders Rwanda.