Renowned Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana legend Doctor Khumalo is concerned that the situation with Percy Tau could set a precedent in the national team.
As Bafana coach Hugo Broos selected the squad for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, Tau was dropped with the Belgian mentor saying he was protecting the Al Ahly star after he received so much criticism from fans lately, among his reasons.
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Khumalo has compared Tau's situation to that of the late Philemon 'Chippa' Masinga who used to be on the receiving end of criticism from the fans when he pulled on the national team jersey.
"I'm from that kind of a set-up in the national team because one of my teammates experienced that. What is happening to Percy is nothing compared to what happened to the late Phil Masinga. I'm creating this scenario for people to understand where I am coming from with this. We as his teammates rallied behind him. Chippa had told Clive (Barker) and SAFA not to call him up for Bafana Bafana again. But Clive took it upon himself to send Dr (Victor) Ramathesele to him to say he didn't want to lose him. Dr Ramathesele had gone there (England) to check Lucas (Radebe) with his injury situation at the time," said Khumalo, speaking to the Siya crew.
"I'm not sure if things are still being done like that but I would have loved for them (Broos and SAFA) to sit with him (Tau) down and explain the situation. What has he done to the national team that the fans hate him so much to the point of them booing him? This boy has contributed tremendously to the national team. We need to understand that as much as we expected these players to be on top of their game, there's a lot on the plate for them. There are youngsters that are coming in there and these are the senior players that are guiding these boys. Let's look at the bigger picture and try to resolve this situation in an amicable way," the legend said.
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16V has drawn comparisons between Tau's situation and that of Lyle Foster who had to be excused from Bafana last year after his English club Burnley revealed that he has mental health issues to deal with.
"Some people ask me about Lyle Foster and how his situation was handled. There was a time he excused himself from the national team or whatever the situation with him was, and he (Broos) spoke to him. Why the same doesn't happen if he thinks that Percy isn't ready? But I would want to believe that he spoke to him because I saw Percy the other day at Metro FM. So, Percy is in the country, and all I am saying is that I would have loved for them to have that conversation. I would have loved for him (Broos) to play that father figure or manager role in managing the situation? But is this going to benefit us? Does that mean whenever there is a player that has been booed, he won't get selected? Because what we are doing now is opening a can of worms. From where I am sitting, I see this as an internal matter. He shouldn't even have told us that it's because the player was booed," concluded Khumalo.
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