Korhogo, Ivory Coast: Bafana Bafana’s talismanic forward Percy Tau has declared his and his teammates’ desire to achieve “something special” at the ongoing AFCON 2023.
Bafana Bafana, whose only continental trophy came in 1996, are in Korhogo, Ivory Coast, and kick off their Group E campaign against Mali.
The Al Ahly star, crowned CAF Interclub Player of the Year in December 2023, was speaking to journalists in a press conference ahead of.
Tau acknowledged the pressure riding on the team’s shoulders but underlined their unwavering belief in their capabilities.
“People will always have perceptions of our national team, but we’ve tried our best over the years. We will still try our best and grow as a country,” Tau told the media in Korhogo.
“I don’t think we’ve had so much success as a country. We only won the AFCON once, so you can’t place us that far; we’re still on our way up, and we want to do better in these competitions; we believe this is the moment to grow as a country and do something special here.”
Looking towards the upcoming challenges, Tau expressed optimism. “We’re looking forward to the games,” he said. “The pitch is great; we saw it today [Tuesday]. We’re playing against a good side [Mali] and then Namibia and Tunisia. We’re looking forward to all those games; we believe in ourselves, we’re not overconfident, we’re grounded, but that doesn’t take away that we want to do something special.”
PERCY TAU’S AFCON PROMISE
While acknowledging the challenges of playing away from home, including travel fatigue and adapting to new environments, Tau emphasised the team’s experience. “Most of the squad is now used to travelling and playing outside the country,” he explained. “It’s those that are in South Africa who don’t know what we’re going through.”
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“It’s difficult to play away because there’s travelling involved also to acclimatise to the weather, the food, the people and the training pitches. But I feel we’ve handled that pretty well. Most of the squad is now used to travelling and playing outside the country. So it’s those that are in South Africa who don’t know what we’re going through.
Tau, widely regarded as South Africa’s most potent attacking threat, promised a spirited display from Bafana. He believes the current group of Bafana has what it takes to achieve “something special”.
“It’s a dream for me to win it,” Tau declared, his voice filled with conviction. “I’d love to win it, and I think everyone in our squad shares the same dream. So yeah, I’d love to win it.”
The journey to “something special” begins Tuesday against Mali, but Bafana’s ambition extends far beyond the group stage. The quest for continental glory is on, and with Tau at the helm, the dance could just lead them all the way.