SOCCER
Bafana find a raw diamond in tough Lebo Mothiba
The striker’s recent performance makes him a shoo-in for the next Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers
With two goals for Bafana Bafana in the Four Nations in Zambia and two in six starts in Ligue 1 for Lille since being recalled from loan in January‚ Lebogang Mothiba has thrust himself into the spotlight as a genuine national team prospect. Even better is that Mothiba‚ 22, who represented SA at the Rio Olympics in 2016‚ is exactly the sort of striker Bafana need — a big centre-forward who can hold the ball up and finish with his head and feet. That also makes him the kind of striker coach Stuart Baxter likes. After Mothiba scored both the equaliser in a 1-1 full-time result in SA’s penalties win against Angola and the clincher in the 2-0 final win against Zambia last week‚ he is sure to be pushed up the pecking order for the next Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in September. Baxter was cautious about the South African tendency to rush young strikers as a solution to Bafana’s notorious scoring woes. "We need to have patience because we have youngsters and experienced players who wil...
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