Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has provided insight into his decision to recall Percy Tau to the national team squad.
Tau completed a move to Qatar Stars League side Qatar SC from Al Ahly in January this year after four years of marriage with the Egyptian giants. The former Mamelodi Sundowns star joined the Qatar club on a six-month contract.
The attacker’s absence from the Bafana Bafana squad, which began in August 2024, was attributed by Broos to a desire to shield the player from potential criticism that could negatively impact his mental well-being.
Broos also cited Tau’s limited game time during his tenure at Al Ahly as a contributing factor to his exclusion. However, this month, Tau made the cut to Broos’ final squad squad to face Lesotho and Benin in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers this month.
WHAT HUGO BROOS SAID ABOUT PERCY TAU’S SELECTION
Broos expressed his satisfaction with Tau’s form and acknowledged that he’s happy to see him play regularly for his new team, Qatar SC. The Belgian mentor went on to state that the squad needs him, and he’s one player who can help the national team qualify for the World Cup.
“The team [Al Ahly] he [Tau] was at was a fantastic club to play. But you have to play. I have always had the feeling that he was not at the right place,” said Broos during the Bafana squad announcement on Thursday.
“It’s good to have Tau after a long time of not playing with us. At his previous club, he hardly played. The more games, the fewer games Percy played. You know, this is not good for a player who doesn’t play.
“I repeat it for the 20th time: players need to play so that when they come to Bafana, the level and intensity are higher. So, if you don’t play for three or four weeks, you’re not ready. You can be Percy Tau or another big-name player, but you have to play.
“Now, he is playing again with his new team in Qatar, and I’m very happy about it. I think everybody agrees with me if I say Percy Tau is a very good player. He can help us to qualify for the World Cup.”
South Africa will take on Lesotho at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Friday, 21 March. Bafana will then fly by charter plane to Abidjan in Ivory Coast to face Benin on Tuesday, 25 March 2025.
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