/ 31 March 2017

Mokotjo’s exile ends in cracker of a game

National duty: Kamohelo Mokotjo made up for his switched citizenship during Bafana Bafana’s recent friendly match against Guinea-Bissau at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
National duty: Kamohelo Mokotjo made up for his switched citizenship during Bafana Bafana’s recent friendly match against Guinea-Bissau at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
THE REAL MAKOYA

It was a roller-coaster week for Netherlands-based South African midfielder Kamohelo Mokotjo. Right up to the eve of Bafana Bafana’s international tie against Guinea-Bissau, he was uncertain about whether he would be granted permission to play.

Mokotjo had, in an apparent fit of pique, renounced his South African nationality and taken up Dutch citizenship. This was after being consistently called up for national duty but repeatedly ignored, ostensibly because former coach Shakes Mashaba considered him “sluggish”.

But after ending his self-imposed exile when he was summoned back to the national set-up by caretaker coach Owen da Gama, Mokotjo displayed a near-faultless performance against Guinea-Bissau to earn the title of this week’s Real Makoya.

“I had applied for Dutch citizenship and renounced my South African citizenship, making me un-able to play for my country,” said a remorseful-sounding Mokotjo, adding that it had been the most difficult decision he had ever made.

Because he had already represented the country at junior level with the likes of Kermit Erasmus, Rama Mphahlele, Thulani Serero and Andile Jali evidently made it easier for Mokotjo to fit into the general scheme of things.

He stood head and shoulders above his peers on Saturday, with a wide range of passing and an ability to both destroy and thread a pass through the eye of a needle. Yet he was humble enough to say it was all about the team and the country, and that he was satisfied to have contributed to Bafana’s 3-1 victory.