Three-time CAF Champions League winner Pitso Mosimane has given a charming insight into his former player Percy Tau’s rise.
Mosimane promoted Tau at Mamelodi Sundowns, handing him his professional debut on 25 February 2014 in the league against Orlando Pirates.
The two would go on to win the CAF Champions League together before Tau moved to Belgium en route to England after Brighton signed him.
Following Tau’s botched stint in the English Premier League, he linked up with Mosimane at Al Ahly in Egypt.
Mosimane has detailed what has made the Witbank-born star a standout player of his generation.
In the current Bafana squad, the ‘Lion of Judah’, as he is affectionately known, is the leading goal scorer with 13 goals in 36 outings for Bafana Bafana.
‘PERCY TAU HAS A DIFFERENT MIND’
Mosimane recalled how Khaya Shozi broke into the Sundowns senior team ahead of Tau. However, the Bafana talisman went on to excel, thanks to the fact that he ‘has a different mind’, according to ‘Jingles’.
“They were good at MDC, they were doing very well together, I even signed Khaya [Shozi] before Percy,” Mosimane said.
He was sharing his intentions to help Shozi, who has turned destitute, get back on his feet.
“But Percy has got a different mind. Percy is that guy that when we were playing Champions League, on the flight, he would be studying, you know what I’m trying to say.
“That’s the difference – he looks after himself. He looks after his life, you know. Look at him, how he does his things. Percy is unbelievable.
“He’s top level, top class, different culture, different mentality, trains by himself,” added the former Ahly coach.
He further said injuries had blighted his career in recent seasons. Tau had lost his place in the Bafana squad owing to a lack of game time.
However, after turning the corner, Bafana coach Hugo Broos has called him up. The Belgian told FARPost he was impressed by his turnaround ahead of the back-to-back qualifiers against Liberia.
PITSO MOSIMANE CONCURS WITH HUGO BROOS
Bafana host Liberia on Friday 24 March, 2023 before visiting the Lone Stars away in Monrovia on Tuesday 28 March, 2023.
“In the beginning [of my Bafana contract], my first games for qualifiers for World Cup, it was Percy on 50% or maybe less with all the injuries he got.
“But now, he recovered. He plays all the games [for his club], and you see what that does with a player like Percy’s [quality]. So, I’m very happy with him,” said Broos.
Mosimane concurs with the Bafana mentor and believes his former prodigy could the trump card for South Africa in the current qualifiers.
“Unfortunately, [he has] been hit by injuries lately, but now he’s back. I hope he helps us against Liberia. We should beat Liberia,” concluded Mosimane.
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