CAPE TOWN – Percy Tau is on the verge of completing his dream move to the Premier League.
Mamelodi Sundowns chairman Patrice Motsepe issued an instruction to the Masandawana club management to complete the transfer of PSL Player of the Season Tau to Brighton & Hove Albion, in what is rumoured to be a South African record R50 million.
On Wednesday we discussed five SA stars that Tau would want to emulate in England, and today, we look at another five men from Mzansi whose UK careers Tau wouldn’t want to copy.
1 Mbulelo ‘Old John’ Mabizela
When Mabizela was signed by Tottenham Hotspur from Orlando Pirates, we all hoped that the then-Bafana Bafana captain would be a hit at White Hart Lane.
He had impressed Spurs boss Glenn Hoddle when Pirates beat them 2-1 in a pre-season friendly in Durban in 2003, and scored a stunning goal on his debut against Leicester City.
🇿🇦 Mbulelo Mabizela 😲 #COYS pic.twitter.com/fXU3IUYgFV
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 12, 2018
But things went pear-shaped after that, with him firstly being used as a defensive midfielder instead of as a centreback, and then involved in a number of disciplinary indiscretions.
Mabizela played only six more games for Tottenham before being shipped off to Valerenga in Norway.
2 Tokelo Rantie
Despite being a Bafana striker with 12 goals in 40 internationals, Rantie has hardly played in South Africa, with his only recognised club being Orlando Pirates.
Having won the Swedish league with Malmo, Rantie arrived at Bournemouth in 2013 for a reported club record £2.5 million.
But things never worked out for the man from Parys in the Free State as he scored only five goals in 44 games, and he joined Genclerbirligi in Turkey in 2016.
3 Bongani Khumalo
A rock at SuperSport United, Khumalo secured his big move to Tottenham Hotspur in 2011, but it turned out to be a nightmare from the start for the former Bafana Bafana captain.
He never made the first team as a number of injuries took their toll, and he had to settle for loan moves to Preston North End, Reading, PAOK in Greece, Doncaster Rovers and Colchester United before going back home to SuperSport United in 2015.
4 Phil Masinga
The Bafana Bafana striker was signed by Leeds United in 1994, and was regarded as the main man in a ‘package deal’ with Lucas Radebe.
But of course, we all know how ‘Rhoo’ blossomed at Elland Road, but it wasn’t the same for Masinga.
ON THIS DAY: In 1994, Leeds United signed Phil Masinga and Lucas Radebe for a combined fee of £250,000. #LUFC pic.twitter.com/lzvboHR8zW
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) September 5, 2014
Even though he was South Africa’s sharp-shooter, having made his name at Jomo Cosmos and Mamelodi Sundowns, ‘Chippa’ was at Leeds for two years, but didn’t play enough first-team football and was eventually allowed to leave for St Gallen in Switzerland.
5 Matty Pattison
Born in Johannesburg, Pattison moved to Newcastle in England with his family at the age of 11, but his Newcastle United senior career never really got off the ground.
He was hampered by injury in the 2004/05 season, and was sent on loan in 2007 to Norwich City.
The left-sided midfielder played more regularly for the Canaries between 2008 and 2009, but made his way to Mamelodi Sundowns in a bid to make the Bafana squad for the 2010 World Cup.
That didn’t happen, although he did earn five SA caps.
@ashfakmohamed