Pitso Mosimane protected Percy Tau, claims Hugo Broos

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos is convinced Pitso Mosimane protected Percy Tau at Al Ahly as the highly-rated attacker struggled to replicate his old form after joining the Egyptian giants.

Tau joined Al Ahly in August last year after a botched stint with Brighton & Hove Albion in the English Premiership.

Prior to that, the former Mamelodi Sundowns man had set the Belgian league alight, turning out for Union SG, Club Brugge and Anderlecht.

However, injuries hampered his progress in the Egyptian Premier League, with limited game time under Mosimane.

Broos believes he was lucky to be under the tutelage of a man who had his back.

BROOS SAYS TAU IS ‘A PROBLEM’

“Percy is a problem; I’m very sorry, a problem because he doesn’t play. He was injured at the end of June, so the competition [league] in Egypt was finished in August,” Broos told the media in Mbombela.

“He didn’t play any game anymore, recovery from injury. Since the competition started [this season], he played 22 minutes. 18 [minutes] he came in, and he came in for 4 minutes [in another game.

“When you see the performances of Percy, in the last games for Bafana Bafana, this was not Percy on the highest level.”

Broos says he knows the ‘Lion of Judah’ too well from his time in his homeland – Belgium – and insists he has yet to replicate the same form he displayed in the Western European country.

“I know him very well, I saw him playing one year in Belgium with Anderlecht and Brugge, I didn’t see him on the same level now.

“It’s not blaming Percy, but I do know he went from one injury to another last year in Al Ahly.

“I think he was very happy to have a coach like Pitso because he protected him,” added Broos.

He will be hoping Tau reclaims his place at Ahly and has even suggested that he should consider a move away should he struggle to lay claim to a regular starting place.

“I hope he gets his position in Al Ahly, or he moves in January.”

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