Bruised ankle puts Percy Tau in doubt for Bafana Bafana’s clash against Mali

07 October 2019 - 12:52 By Mark Gleeson
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Percy Tau is a doubt for Bafana Bafana's match against Mali
Percy Tau is a doubt for Bafana Bafana's match against Mali
Image: Club Brugge/Twitter

Bafana Bafana star striker Percy Tau is an injury doubt for the Nelson Mandela Challenge international friendly against Mali in Port Elizabeth on Sunday.

Tau limped off the field towards the end of the first half of Club Brugges’ match against KAA Gent in the Belgian Pro League on Sunday‚ putting his participation for the national team in serious doubt.

He was replaced in the 41st minute of the 4-0 victory,  as Brugges opened up a three-point lead at the top of the standings to continue with the good form they showed in the 2-2 draw against Real Madrid last week.

Tau started in a three-man attack, but his ankle was bruised after a tackle in the build-up to the second goal scored by Senegalese Krepin Diatta after 28 minutes.

He continued with the game for the next 13 minutes but had to be withdrawn in what is potentially a massive blow for new Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki.

If Tau is ruled out of the friendly‚ Ntseki’s attacking options will be affected as he has been looking for the diminutive striker to help engineer a win against the unpredictable Malians.

The South African Football Association (Safa) will request a medical report from Brugges on the extent of Tau’s injury, and it is likely he will travel to Johannesburg for a further examination by Bafana’s medical team.

Fifa rules allows for Tau to travel from Belgium to South Africa to be further assessed by a Bafana medical team.

Brugges may try to persuade Safa not to invite Tau to travel to Johannesburg because they have key games in the Belgian league and a Uefa Champions League tie against Paris St Germain at home on October 22.

Brugges’s win on Sunday means they remain unbeaten after 15 games in all competitions this season‚ winning 10 of them in which Tau has played nine games and scored twice.
Source: TMG Digital.


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