OPINION – Bafana’s Mokoena has shown he can star in Europe

The absurd assertion that Teboho Mokoena wasn’t worthy of being named the PSL Footballer of the Season last year is all crumbling down on the biggest continental stage of them all, the Africa Cup of Nations.

The reigning South African football king has everyone bowing to him in Cote d’Ivoire. He is wearing the crown with pride and living up to his billing as one of the players to look out for at the tournament.

Perhaps not one to do fancy tricks that the South African public love to see, Mokoena keeps it simple in the most effective way possible. His superb free kick against Morocco to hand Bafana Bafana a 2-0 win and secure passage to the quarterfinals is another example of his undeniable quality.

Alongside Themba Zwane, the 27-year-old has been one of Bafana’s best performers at the nations cup to prove that he’s one of the best players on the continent and deserved his individual honour from last season. I think that Mokoena has shown that he is ready for a big move to Europe. In my opinion, it would be a shame if the midfield general doesn’t move to bigger and better things to further develop his game.

His tactical awareness is second to none, looks after the ball well, and his passing accuracy is up there with some of the best players on the continent. What also makes him such a rare breed is that his offensive part of the game is just as good as his defending.

Bissouma humbled

South Africa might have lost to Mali in the opening game of the campaign, but Tottenham Hotspur star Yves Bissouma had to be substituted with the score tied at 0-0 after Mokoena bossed him around. 

Another superstar that plays for arguably the biggest team in the world found the going tough against Mokoena. This time it was Morocco’s Sofyan Amrabat who also plys his trade in England for Manchester United.

The Bethlehem-born genius had Amrabat in his pocket for 90 minutes before the United man was sent off for denying him an obvious goal scoring opportunity in extra time, with Bafana leading 1-0. Mokoena got up and fired home an unstoppable rocket into the top corner to tame the Atlas Lions and send them crashing out of the AFCON.

There might never be a better time for the Mamelodi Sundowns star to make the leap to one of the top leagues abroad because he has proven beyond reasonable doubt that he can hold his own against some of the best players in the world and moving overseas will also benefit the national team.

In the meantime, Mokoena, who is the son of the former and late Free State Stars and Hellenic FC legend Alexis ‘Didi’ Motaung, needs another big shift against Cape Verde to help Bafana reach the semifinals. His detractors are eating humble pie while he proves just how good he is and what earned him the right to be called the best footballer in the country.