Mothiba set to give Bafana some ‘oof’
A fan favourite at his club RC Strasbourg in France, the youngster says he is enjoying football
It just takes a glance at the players surrounding Bafana Bafana striking talent Lebo Mothiba on the French Ligue 1 top scorers’ chart this season to know the kind of company the youngster is now keeping.
It just takes a glance at the players surrounding Bafana Bafana striking talent Lebo Mothiba on the French Ligue 1 top scorers’ chart this season to know the kind of company the youngster is now keeping.
The 22-year-old RC Strasbourg centre-forward is among four players — including France World Cup winner Florian Thauvin of Olympique Marseille — on seven goals.
The others are Lille’s France junior international Jonathan Bamba and Bordeaux’s Guinea international Francois Kamano.
The five top scorers ahead of him represent a staggering array of international talent — Edinson Cavani and Nicolas Pepe on eight goals each‚ Neymar on 10‚ and Nantes’s Argentine Emiliano Sala and Kylian Mbappe on 11.
Mothiba is causing a stir in France‚ becoming a favourite at Strasbourg since arriving there in late August‚ and a striker to watch in the land of Emmanuel Macron‚ Paris Saint-Germain and the World Cup champions.
And it is only his first full season in Ligue 1 since moving at 18 to Lille‚ where he scored five goals in 14 games in the second half of last season after being called back from loan at Ligue 2 Valenciennes.
“Oof‚” Mothiba lets out after a Bafana training session in Midrand ahead of Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Nigeria at FNB Stadium‚ when asked about what goes through his mind at the trajectory his career has been taking. “Oof” is a word he uses a lot — perhaps it is the French influence. “For me all this‚ it’s like a dream come true playing in one of the biggest leagues in the world. And I’m doing well. I’m scoring and I’m impressing everyone. I’m just enjoying‚ I’m having a good time that side. I’m doing my best. I give everything on the field.
“It’s good to score goals. That gives me even more confidence. So that’s what I’ll do – keep working hard and when I get my chances to score‚ score goals.”
Mothiba has been met with an increasingly warm reception in France. “The club is very happy with me‚ the coach [Thierry Laurey]‚ the players‚ the owner [Marc Keller]. Everyone likes me in France‚” he said.
“That also gives me confidence. I feel comfortable with the guys and that helps me improve my game.”
The heat in Johannesburg this week will make it uncomfortable for Mothiba, who is used to playing in the cold European winter. On Saturday it is expected to be 36°C. “Playing in the heat here is difficult. The first 1015 minutes will be difficult, but after that it will go well‚” he said.
Failure to qualify for 2019’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals could cost Bafana Bafana as much as $4m in prize money alone‚ never mind millions more in lost sponsorship‚ marketing and television revenue.
With the once powerful Bafana brand reduced now to occasional mockery‚ the country’s football is at a serious crossroads going into their key Group E qualifier against Nigeria at FNB Stadium on Saturday.
A loss to the Super Eagles would put the chances of the SA national team in serious peril‚ leaving them needing to avoid defeat away in their last game against Libya to qualify for the tournament in Cameroon.
SA have already missed out on their past two major tournaments the 2017 Afcon finals in Gabon and the 2018 World Cup
leaving the SA Football Association without many sponsors‚ without a kit deal that pays them hard cash and without a television rights deal‚ which has collapsed in recent weeks.
It is in stark contrast to the days when sponsors were tripping over themselves to be linked to the Bafana brand
The costs of any further setbacks will hit Safa hard and the ripple effect will have wider negative consequences for the country’s most popular sport.
But if Bafana beat Nigeria they will qualify. A draw might be enough, depending on what Libya achieve away against the Seychelles the same day.
The impact of qualifying will be cash payments as one of the 24 finalists because the Confederation of African Football hands out a share of the marketing and television revenue.
Countries that qualify for Afcon are now guaranteed a minimum of $475,000.
Finishing third in the opening round group earns $575,000 while a quarterfinal place is worth $800,000. The two losing semifinalists each earn $1‚5m, there is $2m for the runner-up and $4m for the winner.