OPINION: Percy Tau is not immune to criticism

Belgium’s golden generation of footballers divide opinions around the world.

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Some believe that with the talent pool at their disposal, they should have won the FIFA World Cup or at least the European Championship.

Superstars like Kevin de Bruyne and Eden Hazard bear the brunt of most Belgians when they don’t do well at major tournaments because they are expected to lift others around them as leaders in the team.

I’m certain Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos would share the views of his countrymen that their golden generation has failed on the world stage when it mattered most.

Criticism is part of the game and senior players who are perhaps more gifted than others are mostly on the receiving end. Argentinians criticised Lionel Messi who many regard as the best player to have ever played the game. That was before he led them to the World Cup crown in 2022 so no one is immune to getting the stick.

To bring it closer to home, that’s how South Africans feel about Percy Tau. A lot was expected from him at the recent Africa Cup of Nations. They wanted to see a roaring lion that was going to lead Bafana and be one of the top performers at the tournament. I don’t agree with Broos’ comments that the public’s criticism of Percy was unfair.

Bafana might have come back home with a bronze medal for the first time in 24 years but Tau would be the first to admit that he wasn’t at his best in Côte d’Ivoire.

South Africans had every right to demand more from their star player. The criticism was amplified because they love him and most importantly, they know what he’s capable of on the big stage. He has done wonders with Al-Ahly and it’s only natural to expect the same level of performance in a Bafana jersey.

He’s the current CAF Inter-club Player of the Year after helping the Egyptian giants claim an 11th record-extending Caf Champions League title.

Not selecting the 29-year-old for upcoming friendlies against Andorra and Algeria is not the answer either. There’s no cooling break in international football because the spotlight will always be on him as one of the best players on the continent. There is just no escaping that reality and the former Mamelodi Sundowns striker should have been called-up to the squad to regain his confidence.

It doesn’t make sense to drop Tau from the squad due to the fear that if doesn’t perform well, the criticism will intensify. It actually says more about Broos’ belief in the attacker’s ability than the nation who will always pin their hopes on him.

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If Tau is not in top form for June’s World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria and Zimbabwe, the public will still criticise him. He should have been part of this group to reconnect with his teammates because there aren’t too many international friendlies to go around.

When the team lines up against the Super Eagles three months from now, Tau will still be haunted by the ghosts of the Nations Cup where he was simply average.