Despite Percy Tau’s precarious situation at Al Ahly, the Bafana Bafana international has been named in the squad for the 2022/23 domestic campaign.
The former Mamelodi Sundowns star has struggled to stamp his authority as a starter on the first team and his struggles has been made worse by recurring injuries, but the inclusion could dispel the rumours.
Tau has been linked with a move away from the Cairo giants and was recently linked with French second-tier side Le Havre, who are coached by Luka Elsner - the manager whom he previously worked under at Belgium’s Union SG, while on loan from Brighton.
Although there have been rumours linking Tau to a return to the Premier Soccer League, Mamelodi Sundowns co-coach Rhulani Mokwena remained guarded when he was asked whether they would go for the Bafana Bafana assistant captain should he be available.
"I don’t know much about Percy's being unsettled. [He is] an incredible human being also, top, top kid and a very good football player," Mokwena said of Tau, who made 100 appearances for the Brazilians, scoring 25 goals, including 14 in his final 2017/18 season when he was also named the PSL Payer of the Year.
"I can’t speak about him because I don’t think Al Ahly have officially made a statement on Percy and, therefore, because he’s not a free agent and because he belongs to a club that we have huge respect for, it becomes very difficult to comment."
As he struggles at Al Ahly, the South African has had to deal with criticism from a section of the club’s former players.
One of them is former goalkeeper Ahmed Shobeir, who claimed the Egyptian giants are desperate to offload Tau, who is said to be suffering from a back injury that will keep him sidelined for a very long time.
Ex-Al Ahly assistant coach David Sesa was quoted saying the South African international is not at the level to play for the club, sentiments that were echoed by Taha Ismail.
The 28-year-old was also not included in Hugo Broos’ Bafana Bafana squad for the upcoming friendlies against Sierra Leone and Botswana later in September.
