Percy is making superb progress
Bafana star Tau is benefiting from his spell in Belgium
PERCY TAU has certainly benefited from his overseas sojourn. And, every time the 24-year-old returns home for national duty, he is able to demonstrate just how his European adventure has made him a better, more confident, footballer.
At the weekend, with Bafana Bafana 1-0 down to Nigeria in a 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier, Tau produced yet another moment of individual magic: a delightful feint and a wicked drop of the shoulder bamboozled the Nigerian defence and Tau was in on goal; but, realising his teammate Lebo Mothiba was in a better position, he unselfishly teed the ball up for the striker to tap into an empty net.
While Bafana’s stuttering Afcon qualification campaign hasn’t endeared the team to the public at large, at least one light has continued to shine rather brightly: Tau.
After a 0-0 draw with Seychelles last month, and a 1-1 draw with Nigeria at the weekend, the SA national side needs a point in the final qualifier – away to Libya in March – to secure a spot at the continental showpiece event in Cameroon next year. Despite the gloom of the current situation, the dynamic performances of Tau have provided some measure of cheer and consolation for football followers across the country.
Bafana are back in action when they host Paraguay in the Nelson Mandela Challenge Centenary celebrations at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban tonight (7pm) – and, while coach Stuart Baxter is likely to ring the changes to offer game time to a few fringe players, Tau will still be the main attacking threat.
The 24-year-old former Mamelodi Sundowns forward has always been touted for big things. He was able to land a high-profile transfer to Brighton and Hove Albion, and the English Premiership club subsequently sent Tau on loan to Royal Union Saint-Gilloise in the Belgian Second Division, where the burgeoning forward has been in scintillating form.
In fact, even Nigeria’s German coach, Gernot Rohr, who works with some really talented forwards – like Odion Ighalo, Kelechi Iheanacho, Alex Iwobi‚ Ahmed Musa and Isaac Success – was extremely impressed with Tau.
“He is a wonderful player,” said Rohr of Tau. “I hope to see him in a big team in Europe. He has all the qualities to be a player in England or somewhere, and he gave us a lot of problems.”
The Second Division in Belgium will soon be too small for him – and, with a bigger stage and better challenges still to come in England, who knows how high and how far the South African can soar?
Furthermore, they always say the mark of a good footballer is not so much his own game, but also in how he is able to uplift and galvanise the players around him. At Bafana, we’ve certainly seen evidence of this.