Mokotjo real boost for Bafana
Da Gama puts past bias against overseas-based players aside
OWEN Da Gama’s recall of Kamohelo Mokotjo‚ not to sit on the bench but to start in the 3-1 friendly win against Guinea-Bissau at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday swept away the snobbishness displayed towards overseas-based players in recent years.
Under Shakes Mashaba‚ sacked as head coach in December‚ several high-profile players were ostracised.
The coach appeared notably intimidated by overseas-based players exposed to a high level of coaching‚ especially someone as outspoken and confident as Mokotjo.
Finally, the man who earns rave reviews weekly for FC Twente in Holland‚ and who just might be the future of South Africa’s midfield‚ was given a start – his first since a 1-1 friendly draw against Honduras in central America on October 14 2015. He gave glimpses of why he has one of the best pass completion rates in the Eredivisie.
Da Gama’s view of Mokotjo having amassed just five caps under Mashaba and his predecessor Gordon Igesund‚ stands in direct contrast to the former of those two coaches’ reluctance – to the frustration of his Safa bosses – to travel to watch European-based players. “It’s unbelievable,” Da Gama said. “We went to play Costa Rica and Honduras‚ and I just felt – or we felt as a technical team – we had to give him a chance. Let’s see him start the match‚ and see what he can give us.
“I do a lot of reading. And if the sports writers in Europe are raving about Mokotjo‚ there must be something. They see him week in and week out.
“We should go out to Holland and watch him play, see how they utilise him.
“I think that’s important‚ so that we see how we can slot him into our set-up and the way we play.
“And the same goes for Kermit Erasmus. Go and watch them play‚ speak to their coaches.
“They should feel that we really want them‚ and we are there to see them.
“[We should] see how they’re using Lebohang Phiri at Brondby. He’s just 23 and he’s played over 100 games for them.
“[We should] go and see how Montpellier utilise Keagan Dolly, so we have a better understanding of our players abroad.”
Bafana meet Angola in a second friendly at Buffalo City Stadium in East London on Tuesday night.