Percy Tau’s Al Ahly revival comes at the perfect time for Bafana Bafana

Percy Tau's return to scoring form and steady rejuvenation of his career at Al Ahly comes at the perfect time for Bafana Bafana.

Tau, whose two assists and stunning strike helped Ahly beat Coton Sport 4-0 on Friday to keep their hopes of reaching the Caf Champions League quarterfinals alive, will join the Bafana camp this week for the crucial back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Liberia.

Four points for 67th-ranked South Africa from the match at Orlando Stadium on Friday (6pm) and in Monrovia next Tuesday will be enough for Bafana to reach the Nations Cup in Ivory Coast in January and February.

Tau has been gaining form for Egyptian Premier League leaders Ahly as he has received far more game time from Swiss coach Marcel Koller since his return from yet another injury in January.

The 28-year-old had battled for form and to win over Ahly's huge, demanding support base as he has also suffered injuries since being signed from Brighton & Hove Albion by former Red Devils coach Pitso Mosimane in August 2021. It has been a far better year for Tau in 2023.

The Bafana star played in all four games — two as a starter — and scored in the 3-0 win against Auckland City as Ahly finished fourth at the Fifa Cup World Cup in Morocco last month. He was a 61st-minute substitute in the 4-1 semifinal defeat against tournament victors Real Madrid.

Koller seems to view Tau as a big performer in continental competition and the South African has started all five of Ahly's group stage games.

Striker Kahraba has three goals — from his hat-trick on Friday against Coton Sport — in the 2022-23 edition of the tournament. The Cairo club has won a record 10 times, with Tau second on two.

Apart from his goal against last-placed Coton Sport, Tau scored in the 5-2 defeat against old club Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld where he was one of the few bright performers in a result that endangered Ahly's progression from the Group B.

Sundowns (11 points) have clinched a place in the quarters ahead of their final game at home to Coton Sport. Ahly (seven points and a +3 goal difference) need a win in Cairo against Sudan's Al-Hilal (10 points, +3 goal difference) to progress.

Koller has also been fielding Tau in the Premier League, where Al Ahly (44 points) have a two-point lead over fellow Cairo club Future FC but with three games in hand.

Since his return from injury as a substitute in Ahly's 1-0 win against Bank of Egypt on January 24 Tau has been a substitute and started twice in the next three games. Overall the forward has two goals in nine games in the league in 2022-23.

Tau and Lyle Foster, who scored his first goal for new English Championship club Burnley last week, will spearhead a Bafana attack against Liberia that also seems likely to include Orlando Pirates' in-form Monnapule Saleng and Sundowns' find of 2022-23 Cassius Mailula.

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