Matshelane Mamabolo says May Mahlangu should be ashamed of himself and Shakes should use his petulance to warn others.
|||
So, May Mahlangu is tired! Ja, ne! Should we blame it all on Raheem Sterling?
After all, many an African players’ role models are those playing in the English Premiership, aren’t they?
Perhaps Mahlangu is taking a leaf out of the Liverpool player’s book by turning his back on the national team because of fatigue – Sterling having told England coach Roy Hodgson the same recently.
Tired? Really? And here I was thinking that playing for one’s country is the ultimate dream for every aspiring player – tired or not.
Granted he is playing in Europe and doing pretty well. But the Swedish league is not in the echelons of the world’s top leagues and if Mahlangu is ambitious, surely he should be hoping to move to a bigger league. And playing for Bafana Bafana would provide him with the key or stepping-stone to say, England or Spain. But then again, I am assuming he is ambitious.
Mahlangu’s claims that he is tired just don’t hold.
The Swedish league was completed on November 1 and so he has been off for 10 days already. Surely, that is enough rest. Unless he spent those days gallivanting around instead of resting his limbs from what was probably a hectic season.
Mahlangu is reported to have played 23 matches of his team’s 30 league engagements this season – he no doubt made a telling contribution to IFK Goteborg finishing second. And given the fact that many of our players based in Europe literally warm the bench, playing 23 times is not an achievement to be sniffed at.
Yet, that is nothing compared to the 51 matches that were played by Orlando Pirates’ Oupa Manyisa in the previous season. And did the Buccaneers’ midfielder ever complain of fatigue? Never.
For years, many Europe-based players used to treat our national team with such disdain they picked and chose matches. Back then the excuse of a clash with club commitments made some sense.
Now there’s no longer such a thing after Fifa aligned the international calender for the rest of the continents. So, to have players complain of “fatigue” when national duty calls should not be allowed. After all, there are many capable players for Mashaba to call on.
Moreover, Mahlangu is yet to play in any of the four qualifiers that Bafana have played and his absence from the squad will thus not be a train smash.
As it is, Mashaba should use this as a warning to any player who has intentions of picking and choosing matches by no longer calling up Mahlangu.
He has done it before, Mashaba leaving the likes of Benni McCarthy out of his squad to play England only for Safa to overrule him and send him out to pasture. They will have to back their coach this time though. As it is, one of the Safa head honchos should speak out against Mahlangu’s Bafana snub. - The Star
from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1u2riEG
0 commentaires:
Enregistrer un commentaire