Orlando Pirates legend Naughty Mokoena claims politics are keeping Bucs striker Tshegofatso Mabasa from the national team.
The 29-year-old towering forward has not been part of Bafana Bafana squad for over a year. Recently, Mabasa has shown good form; however, he was once again overlooked by Hugo Broos.
Instead, the Bafana coach has opted to select Evidence Makgopa, despite the lanky striker having scored only a single goal this season. Mokoena feels that politics is to blame for Mabasa’s omission from the Bafana Bafana set-up.
“Football is full of politics; in the national team, we have players who are not even playing at their clubs,” he told KickOff.
“Football politics are keeping Mabasa out of Bafana Bafana. Sometimes, as a player, you don’t know what else to do. You try to prove that you deserve to be there, but they always find a way to push you down.
“In a striker, all you need is goals. If you are a coach selecting non-scoring strikers while leaving out goal machines, what does that mean? Mokoena asked.
Mabasa has recently found him form at Pirates
The former Pirates star has hailed Mabasa’s positioning, saying he makes scoring very easy.
“When you look at his goals, he scores them very simply and from inside the box. That’s because he knows how to position himself. “
Mokoena has explained why Broos prefers Makgopa, but highlighted Mabasa’s key attributes that make him better.
“Hugo Broos prefers Evidence Makgopa over Mabasa because Makgopa is more flexible. But let’s be honest; he’s still young and still learning. Mabasa, on the other hand, uses his brain more and has more experience. He doesn’t just work hard; he works smart,” he said.
Orlando Pirates are in action this weekend against Siwelele in the Carling Knockout first round.