Serero has not done himself any favours, says Mokoena
POLOKWANE: Aaron Mokoena, who is Bafana Bafana’s most capped player with a 107 appearances, has weighed in on the Thulani Serero saga.
Dutch-based Serero this week told national team coach Stuart Baxter to excuse him from Friday’s World Cup qualifier against Senegal as well as future call-ups if he doesn’t give him guarantees that he would start.
Mokoena was appalled yesterday.
“This is sad, to be honest with you,” he said from the Bafana hotel in Polokwane, where he is part of Baxter’s support staff.
“I think there is some outside influence. I know I will be criticised for saying this, but I don’t think he has done himself any favours. The timing is just bad.
“This is a World Cup qualifier and the chance to go there is in our hands. The coach is trying to call the best players in the country, and to get withdrawals of two guys who are among his best players just breaks my heart.”
Tokelo Rantie is another prima donna who recently told Baxter he was not in the right frame of mind to play for the national team. So, the coach left the striker out of his 26-man squad for the backto-back Senegal matches when he announced the team two weeks ago.
“I have been in this situation before, but I have never asked a manager to guarantee me game time. Even at club level I would knock on their door and ask for an explanation as to why I am not playing, but I never once received confirmation that I would be guaranteed to play,” said Mokoena, who captained Bafana at the 2010 World Cup.
“When I was called up, it was always a privilege. It is my country. How can I not want to play for them?
“If I get a chance to speak to these guys, my message would be clear and simple. They need to give this some thought. They have this life of glamour right now where they earn big money as footballers, but there is a serious life after that when you are done playing.”