Johannesburg - Kamohelo Mokotjo's decision to quit the senior national team has once more opened up the debate as to whether South Africa's European-based players are getting a fair deal.
Mokotjo, now 25, made his debut for Bafana Bafana in September 2012 against Mozambique in a friendly international. Subsequent to that though he has only featured in eight games for the national team, five of which have been friendly games.
This despite the fact that he has been playing regularly in Holland for the past six years and has featured in 60 Eredivisie (top flight) matches for FC Twente over the last two seasons. All the while he has been growing his reputation as a quality midfield general, able to control proceedings from a deep-lying position, earning praise from the media and team-mates alike.
But the SuperSport United academy product from Odendaalsrus has clearly not done enough to convince Shakes Mashaba of his abilities, the national team coach having failed to use Mokotjo at all in the recent Afcon 2017 qualifying games against Cameroon, despite calling him up to the squad.
The player finally lost his cool when he slammed Mashaba in the Dutch publication De Telegraph, claiming the coach has a personal issue with him. “He clearly has a problem with me. It's really a personal thing. He selected me just to silence the critics. Everyone wants me to play,” said Mokotjo.
This was then followed up with the news on Tuesday that he has pulled himself out of availability for future selection: “It is very unfortunate that current circumstances are not conducive for me to break into the Bafana line-up and I respect the decisions of the technical team led by coach Shakes Mashaba. “I hereby wish to notify you all that I will not honour the national team call-ups in the near future until circumstances change,” read part of a statement on the player's Instagram account. It's a very difficult situation to assess looking in from the outside.
To be fair to Mashaba, a player such as the Belgium-based Andile Jali has hardly let anyone down when donning the Bafana Bafana jersey. And while the recent inclusion of veteran Hlompho Kekana might have seemed like a bit of a slap in the face for Mokotjo, Kekana has been brilliant this season for Mamelodi Sundowns and just about forced his way into the team. And on his return, Kekana scored what is probably the best goal ever netted by a Bafana international in the 2-2 draw away to Cameroon.
Until his form recently dipped, Dean Furman had also been a regular in the middle for Bafana and appeared to have been justifying his spot with some excellent performances in the national team. Currently out with a long-term injury, Orlando Pirates captain Oupa Manyisa has also done well when called upon.
But those in Mokotjo's camp may argue that the FC Twente player is potentially a notch above some of his rivals, and exciting, young talent, who at least deserves a better opportunity to prove himself, rather than making regular long flights from Europe only to find himself on the bench or not even in the match-day squad.
And a case could also be potentially made against the Bafana Bafana selectors for not giving our overseas-based stars a fair crack. For example, Ajax Amsterdam playmaker Thulani Serero had some major issues under former coach Gordon Igesund while the likes of Kermit Erasmus, Ayanda Patosi and May Mahlangu also appear to have been deemed surplus to requirements despite their obvious talents.
While Mokotjo has not done himself any favours by quitting the national team and going so public with his complaints, his stance will at least open up the debate once more, and perhaps force the national team brains-trust to reassess the way in which they treat our players abroad - African News Agency (ANA).