Former Orlando Pirates winger Lebohang Mokoena believes Bafana Bafana should stick with a winning formula by leaving Teboho Mokoena on the bench for Sunday’s FIFA World Cup round of 32 clash against Canada.
South Africa face the tournament co-hosts after making history by reaching the World Cup knockout stages for the first time.
Hugo Broos’ side finished second in Group A following a hard-fought 1-0 victory over South Korea.
Teboho Mokoena missed that match through suspension, with Thalente Mbatha partnering Yaya Sithole in midfield as Thapelo Maseko’s second-half strike secured Bafana’s place in the last 32.
Could Mokoena be benched for Bafana’s next match?
Speaking to SoccerBeat, Mokoena reflected on South Africa’s opening 2-0 defeat to Mexico, saying the pressure surrounding the team’s first World Cup match played a significant role.
“It’s the first game of the World Cup, there’s a lot of pressure in that game. You have to understand, the players are adjusting to the weather. You have all the other countries looking at you guys, you have to set the standard for the World Cup. It was more like a test game,” the former Pirates winger said.
He praised the team’s response after the defeat, highlighting their performances against the Czech Republic and South Korea.
“To show that we have a great team, look at the response against Czech Republic in the second half, the response against South Korea.”
Looking ahead to the clash with Canada, Mokoena said Broos should reward the players who secured qualification by keeping the starting XI unchanged for Bafana to have a chance.
“Look, I always say this, try to keep the momentum, keep the same team that has given you good results,” Mokoena said.
“The reason why is there’s always that cohesion and belief among the players. Not that Tebza is not important, he is important. Maybe he might be important when he comes in during the second half.
“You also don’t want to lower the other players’ spirits. Let’s say he decides to take out Mbatha and bring in Mokoena to play with Sithole, we saw that it did not work in the first game, right?
“You have a combination that worked against a top South Korean team, so why change it? I’ve been calling for Mbatha to come in.”
Mokoena scored Bafana’s equaliser against Czech Republic to force a 1-1 draw, giving them a chance. He most likely will start in the midfield against Canada.
