'Ordinary' Tau blasted! Ex-Kaizer Chiefs star insists Bafana Bafana forward needs to 'earn his place rather than demand it' - 'With Relebohile Mofokeng & Themba Zwane available, why call up an out-of-form Percy?'

Bafana Bafana secured three points with a 2-0 win over Lesotho at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium, thanks to goals from Relebohile Mofokeng and Jayden Adams on Friday. This match also marked the return of Percy Tau, who had been left out of the squad for the previous Afcon qualifiers against Congo and Uganda, with Bafana already qualified for the continental showpiece, which will be held in Morocco, the focus was on fine-tuning the squad.

Tau, now playing for Qatar SC, lasted 90 minutes before being substituted for debutant Ndamulelo Maphangule, who made his first appearance in front of his home crowd. However, his performance failed to make a significant impact, sparking criticism from former player-turned-analyst Junior Khanye. Khanye strongly believes the 30-year-old has no place in the national team and should be dropped from the squad.

With Themba Zwane absent, Percy Tau has been expected to step up as the team’s creative force, given his experience and status as one of the longest-serving players in the squad. If selected for the next match against Benin, he will earn his 50th cap for Bafana Bafana, a milestone in his international career.

This is the first time Hugo Broos has called him up since his move to the Middle East, signaling a fresh opportunity for him to prove his worth. Since joining Qatar SC, Tau has played five games and contributed three assists, showing glimpses of his quality. However, his recent national team performances have raised questions about whether he still fits into Broos’ long-term plans.

"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.

"This is because he is trying too hard. He always feels the need to do more instead of keeping it simple. He needs to realize 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. 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," he 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?

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

"I do compliment Bafana Bafana for successfully managing the game. Well done for taking it seriously and being professional, but to be honest, Lesotho was lacking in all aspects of the game," he added.

"Relebohile Mofokeng has been out of form for the last three months, but Fawaaz Basadien fitted in seamlessly and showed great technical ability. Also, well done to Nkosinathi Sibisi - a true leader.

"However, we complicated things for ourselves in the first half by playing with two holding midfielders. The coach should have utilized one defensive midfielder, as this limited our attacking options. Overall, while we improved in the second half, let's be honest, we were up against a poorly performing team."

With a positive result against Lesotho, Broos will aim to close the international break with another victory away from home against Benin, who recently drew with Zimbabwe.