Percy Tau can’t give you miracles – Broos

Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos believes South Africans expect too much from Percy Tau, and that he is not a match-winning player in the mould of Liverpool and Egypt attacker Mohammed Salah.

Tau was heavily criticised for his performances at the Africa Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast, even though Bafana Bafana exceeded expectations by taking home a bronze medal.

The Al Ahly attacker missed a penalty in the opening match against Mali, and while he redeemed himself by burying a spot kick against Namibia, he was outshone at the AFCON by the likes of Teboho Mokoena and Themba Zwane.

“For me, Percy is a very good player,” said Broos.

“But all of South Africa thinks that Percy is a man who can decide a game. Percy cannot decide a game.”

Those who have watched Tau’s stellar performances for Mamelodi Sundowns, Al Ahly, and for Bafana, most notably in the decisive 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Libya, may have cause to disagree with the Bafana head coach.

But Broos was adamant in his assessment.

‘Don’t make him the guy who will win games for Bafana’

“He is not (Mohammed) Salah from Egypt, he is not Victor (Osimhen) from Nigeria, but he is a good player.

“I want him in my team, he played a good game against Namibia and against Morocco, but he was not decisive. He had chances, and he didn’t score, so this is Percy. Don’t make him the guy who will win games for Bafana, this is not Percy Tau.

“I still have confidence in Percy Tau and I know he can bring our level higher, but you need to judge him fairly. In South Africa that doesn’t happen, they want miracles from him. Percy Tau can’t give you miracles, he is not that kind of player.”