'Every time Percy Tau plays for us, he looks ordinary'

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Former Kaizer Chiefs winger Junior Khanye has criticised Bafana Bafana forward Percy Tau.

The 30-year-old former Al Ahly star has not had a good game in national colours for over a year. Against Lesotho, Tau looked average compared to the player he was five years ago when he carried Bafana on his shoulders.

“As a senior player, Percy needs to take responsibility. He is not the same player anymore, every time he plays for us, he looks ordinary,” said Khanye as reported by KickOff.

Percy Tau under pressure once more

The former Chiefs star said Tau needed to be smart around the box and assist strikers.

“This is because he is trying too hard. He always feels the need to do more instead of keeping it simple. He needs to realise that he is no longer as youthful as players like Relebohile Mofokeng. His issue is that he runs all over the place. I understand that as a number 10, he needs to occupy pockets inside the box and help our striker, Lyle Foster.

“But instead, Percy became a liability, losing too many balls and acting as if he wanted to be 17 years old again,” Khanye added.

Percy Tau hasn’t scored for Bafana Bafana in 14 months. His last goal was a penalty against Namibia in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon).

“I’m very disappointed with his performance, and the coach left him on the pitch for too long. He shouldn’t have returned for the second half,” Khanye added.

“While we do need experienced players in these types of tournaments, we can’t let victories against weaker opponents deceive us. With Relebohile Mofokeng and Themba Zwane available, why call up an out-of-form Percy Tau?

“In football, you need to earn your place rather than demand it.”