Bafana Coach Thrilled With Pirates Striker

Bafana Bafana COSAFA Cup coach Morena Ramoreboli says Orlando Pirates striker Tshegofatso Mabasa has answered critics after scoring twice to save the day for Mzansi in the 2-1 win over eSwatini at Princess Magogo Stadium on Tuesday.

Mabasa was heavily booed in the 2-1 win over Botswana in the previous game, after missing a big chance.  

Fans then went berserk, demanding the immediate substitution of him and Ramoreboli later took off but for tactical reasons.

The Jwaneng Galaxy coach later explained that South African fans are demanding a lot but players do not turn into bad players because of one bad half or game.

On Tuesday, Mabasa came off the bench against eSwatini and scored a brace in the second half, riffling home the equaliser after 75 minutes before winning the game in the 89th minute, when he met a pass from strike partner Iqraam Rayners, leading Ramoreboli to praise his character.

“That’s football,” the Bafana coach told iDiski Times about Mabasa’s cameo.

“We need to understand that one match does not make you a bad player. Sometimes you need coaches who will believe in you as a player when you are down and give you confidence.

“I think we have given our players the belief that they are very important, that is why they are here. For them to go in there and fight even when things are tough, it is a true reflection of what we do when one is there to see.

“But I’m happy that he managed to come back and score two important goals.”

At the club level, it has been tough for Mabasa, as Pirates loaned him to Sekhukhune United last season and he is again close to being loaned out, this time to Moroka Swallows on loan.

Pirates, clearly having no plans for him this coming season, decided to let him go to the Bafana B squad to get game-time instead of being part of their pre-season camp in Spain.

For Ramoreboli to trigger Mabasa, he said he needed to remind the striker of his strengths, having worked closely with him at Bloemfontein Celtic before Pirates signed him ahead of the 2019/20 season.

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“When you play them, you need to remind them of their strength and try as hard as you can,” the coach added.

“Not to remind them of their weaknesses. I think Tshego can score goals at any given time and might not give you what Victor Letsoalo would give you in terms of being quick into spaces. But Tshego is a finisher.

“So you need to play Tshego in areas where Tshego can get goals. I think he was a bit rusty because even at club football he was not getting enough minutes at Sekhukhune.

“Coming here, he needs people who will say to him ‘Tshego, you are good when you do this and go and do this’.”