The Bafana circus continues

Bafana Bafana is keeping their reputation as the laughing stock of national teams, writes Matshelane Mamabolo.

And so we’ve got yet another resignation from the country’s senior national team. Nothing is new as Bafana Bafana keep their reputation as the laughing stock of national teams.

Kamohelo Mokotjo’s announcement yesterday on social media that he is quitting the squad comes just after South Africa’s hopes of qualifying for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations literally went up in smoke following two successive draws with group leaders Cameroon.

And no doubt unhappy at not having played in any of those matches, Mokotjo told his fans on his Instagram account that he was calling it quits.

For those who have followed the national team closely, the announcement would not have come as a surprise - the FC Twente midfielder having never really been a favourite of coach Ephraim Mashaba.

That the talented player, who is arguably one of the best midfielders this country has as is evidenced by his playing in the top Dutch Eredivisie and being a regular at that, has played a mere 109 minutes under Mashaba, tells the story of a player not really in the coach’s plans.

And so the question that should be answered is why Mashaba called him up when he knew he wasn’t going to use him.

Of course, professionals players know that a call-up to the national squad does not always equate to game time and Mokotjo would have been aware of this, too.

But when he continuously found himself overlooked, the lad who played for all the country’s junior national teams with distinction, must have started wondering just what it is he had done wrong. And the fact that the coach had previously bad-mouthed him in the media - Shakes previously described him as ‘heavy and sluggish’ - would have made him realise he is actually not in his plans.

Repeatedly, Mokotjo has honoured the call-ups only to find himself watching from the sidelines. It wouldn’t have been so bad were Bafana winning. But with results not forthcoming, he must have asked himself why the coach was not giving him an opportunity to help make a difference.

What should be remembered though is that Shakes - once the gentleman of South African coaches who has fast morphed into a bitter, old paranoid man - was actually forced into calling up most of the overseas-based players by his employers Safa. And it would appear in including the likes of Mokotjo in his squads, he was merely appeasing his bosses - knowing full well that he wouldn't give them game time.

Mokotjo couldn’t take that any longer and yesterday he sadly joined the many overseas-based players turning their backs on SA. - The Star