Polokwane - While getting a left-back to the Bafana Bafana camp proved a bit of a tall order, ringing up Tiyani Mabunda to replace the injured Dean Furman ahead of Saturday’s 2018 World Cup qualifier against Senegal seemed a no-brainer.
Very few midfielders have been as outstanding as the Mamelodi Sundowns anchorman and the decision by coach Shakes Mashaba and his technical team to include him in his 25-man squad, even as a back-up player at such short notice, was proof that hard work is rewarded after all in the national team set-up.
Furman was withdrawn because of a rib injury after scans revealed that he could aggravate it further were he to be involved in a match as physical as the clash against Senegal is expected to be. Tebogo Langerman was another player also ruled out of the weekend’s encounter after suffering from a hamstring injury, but an adequate replacement was yet to be confirmed at the time of going to print as preferred choice Sifiso Hlanti was also hurt.
Mabunda’s fairytale story continues. The 28-year-old who was signed from Black Leopards over three years ago became a case study for why joining Sundowns - with all their galaxy of stars - was a foolish decision for any player still desperate to make their way up the food chain. Not surprisingly, Mabunda was loaned out to Free State Stars a season later before returning back to the Brazilians where he again kicked his heels on the sidelines until coach Pitso Mosimane threw him a lifeline in April this year.
Today he is a Premier League winner with Sundowns and, most recently, an African Champion as he played a starring role for the club in their quest to clinch the continent’s premier club tournament by beating Egyptians Zamalek 3-1 on aggregate last month. Mabunda chipped in with stunning goals, too, one of them being a long range first half effort against ES Setif in Algeria four months ago. But that game was annulled following crowd trouble at the match venue.
He is unlikely to start for Bafana against Senegal, but offers Mashaba comfort given his quality and his experience against an opposition as tough and tricky as the Group D leaders having been involved with Sundowns in an African sojourn that culminated with a winners medal for a South African side for the first time since Orlando Pirates were crowned champions in 1995.
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Independent Media