Orlando Pirates midfielder Patrick Maswanganyi has earned high praise from Bafana Bafana legend Doctor Khumalo, who sees echoes of the legendary John ‘Shoes’ Moshoeu in the young player's performances.
Khumalo specifically pointed to Maswanganyi’s memorable panenka penalty in the recent Soweto Derby clash against Kaizer Chiefs, played before a massive crowd of over 85,000 spectators at FNB Stadium.
He feels that such a bold act in a high-pressure situation demonstrated Maswanganyi's remarkable self-belief.
Beyond this specific moment, Khumalo believes Maswanganyi has the inherent talent and temperament to become a key player for Bafana Bafana, suggesting he could eventually assume the mantle of national team playmaker currently held by Themba Zwane.
‘TITO WILL DO WONDERS FOR BAFANA BAFANA’
“With that Derby penalty, he showed he can carry Bafana Bafana. We can trust him,” said Khumalo during the interview with iDiski Times.
“No doubt about that, guys, I just want to say… For me, Tito is a player who can deliver for Bafana if we give him the time to adjust to the national team set-up.
“As I said about Rele, the national team is a different stage from the club, and all players need to be given time and support to get used to it.
“I strongly believe that with the support, Tito can be one of those players who can fill the gap Mshishi [Themba Zwane] left. And even when he returns [from injury], it will be good to have more players we can rely on. I personally can raise my hand and say I believe in Tito to do wonders for Bafana.
“He reminds me of the late Shoes [John Shoes Moshoeu] – the great talent, hisattitude on the pitch, always encouraging and lifting teammates up.”
Demonstrating his rising importance for Bafana Bafana in the AFCON qualifiers, Maswanganyi found the net in two successive fixtures.
His contributions included a goal in South Africa's 2-0 win against Uganda, followed by another in their commanding 3-0 victory over South Sudan.
