Is the Lion of Judah losing his roar? Percy Tau’s milestone 50th cap sparks debate

ARMCHAIR VIEW

For a moment, Hugo Broos forgot he was a septuagenarian as he excitedly jumped off the bench to celebrate Jayden Adams’ goal – Bafana Bafana’s second in their 2-0 victory over Benin at the Stade Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

It was a beautiful sight, one that dispelled the doom and gloom preceding the match, as threats loomed that South Africa could be docked the three points they had won by beating Lesotho by the same score in Polokwane on Friday, due to their fielding of Teboho Mokoena, who was sitting on two yellow cards.

Adams had just come on for Percy Tau less than five minutes earlier and headed in a cross delivered by yet another substitute, Oswin Appollis. The young Mamelodi Sundowns star had also scored in his first start for the national team in Polokwane, and his introduction for Tau could well have signalled the changing of the guard in the national team – with Adams representing the future as Tau’s illustrious international career enters its twilight.

At 30-years-old, Tau is beginning to resemble the veteran he is – both in appearance and performance. His hairline has receded significantly, and his runs are no longer as sprightly as they once were. He is unlikely to be in a hurry to watch a replay of his milestone 50th match for Bafana Bafana. However, given the victory, the Lion of Judah will still have fond memories of becoming a half-centurion.

He played a little over 70 minutes which, while not lacking in enthusiasm, could best be described as lukewarm before he was replaced by the young Adams.

Not that the silver-haired Belgian coach would take kindly to suggestions that he should consider sending the Qatar-based forward to pasture. Experience remains key in a squad brimming with youthful enthusiasm, and the highly decorated Tau – a record three-time CAF Champions League winner among South African players – still has much to offer.

Granted, Tau is no longer the razor-sharp attacker he once was. The killer instincts that once made opposition defenders tremble have faded, and the belief that he could surpass Benni McCarthy as the country’s top scorer now seems a distant memory. However, what he has lost in pace and instinct, he compensates for with intelligence and experience. Tau demonstrated this throughout a match that threatened to spiral out of control for Bafana.

The South Africans looked sluggish in the first half – perhaps weighed down by the dark cloud of uncertainty surrounding the threat of losing three points due to the Mokoena yellow card saga.

Yet, the former Mamelodi Sundowns star ran tirelessly. He sought out the ball, and when he got it, he tried to make good use of it – though with limited success.

He took a well-placed corner in the 60th minute, sending in an in-swinger that the Benin defence scrambled away. Six minutes later, he cleverly dummied the ball, expecting a teammate to be behind him. Unfortunately, he was the last man in the final third, and the ball rolled harmlessly to the Benin goalkeeper – a good idea, but one that exposed his lack of awareness in that moment.

What will linger in my memory from Tau’s milestone 50th cap – making him the 14th South African to reach that landmark, now tied with the legendary Doctor Khumalo – was the delightful through ball he delivered to set up Thapelo Morena. His former Sundowns teammate, however, shot straight at the goalkeeper when a cross to the unmarked Lyle Foster for his second goal would have been the better option.

Fifty caps and 16 goals speak to Tau’s immense contribution to South African football. But will the Lion of Judah’s roar still reverberate menacingly across the continent – or even on the world stage?

Hugo Broos holds the answer to that. But I believe there’s still some bite left in Tau.