Selection concerns
South Africa’s road to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations hit a minor speed bump on Friday night as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Kenya at the Orlando Amstel Arena.
Benedict Vilakazi, the former Bafana Bafana playmaker, was particularly vocal about the selection. He suggested that the coaching staff failed to manage Teboho Mokoena’s workload effectively, especially considering the player’s clear physical limitations during the match, which ultimately affected the team's overall rhythm and defensive stability against a physical Kenyan outfit.
Mbatha alternative
Speaking in his role as an analyst, 'Tso' expressed his admiration for Mokoena's talent but questioned the logic of keeping him on the pitch when his lack of match fitness became apparent. He argued that the technical team should have looked to the bench earlier in the second half to provide more energy in the middle of the park.
“I love Tebza, I love Tebza with all my heart. I think also if the coach did a justice enough, second half, take him out. I was gonna put Thalente [Mbatha] because I know he can play, he can attack and he can take a shot. He does have that creativity part,” Vilakazi explained, as per iDiski Times.
Managing resources for the return leg
With the return leg scheduled for Tuesday Vilakazi warned that the management of Mokoena could backfire if he is not properly recovered.
“But having Tebza giving him those minutes knowing very well that he’s not 100%, for me I was very, very worried. Sometimes, as much as we need him, tomorrow is still a day. We’ve got another game on Tuesday. Why didn’t we rest him now here? At least we should’ve rested him here at home and then when it matters most that it’s an away game, then we can say, ‘Tebza, come in and play at least we gave you time to rest,’” Vilakazi added.
