By Mihlali Baleka 
May 26, 2021
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JOHANNESBURG — Brighton & Hove Albion attacker Percy Tau is confident that he’ll remain at the English Premier League side next season as he plans to fight for his place in the team after spending more time on the bench than on the pitch in the last few months.
After two and a half seasons out on loan in Belgium, Tau finally secured his English permit early this year. As a result, he was recalled by Brighton, joining his parent club for the first time since signing for them in 2018 from PSL side Mamelodi Sundowns.
Tau has found the going tough in England, though, unlike in Belgium where he was a regular at Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, Club Brugge and Anderlecht, as he has only made six appearances in all competitions after first five months at Brighton.
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Speaking after receiving a brand new i30N from Hyundai on Wednesday for him to drive around while he’s back in the country, Tau revealed that he’s confident that he’ll return to the Seagulls next season and will continue to fight for his place.
“I don’t think anyone is thinking of that (a loan deal) at this stage. It has been six months that I’ve been at Brighton. And if they were to loan me out, it would be based on what exactly? I didn’t play enough. I am looking to fight for my position,” he said.
“We are still on the same page with the club. They still want me to stay and play. And I also want to fight for my position. You know what they say, they say you want to see the future. As things stand at the moment, we are both on agreement terms.”
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Tau will turn his focus to international matters next month. Bafana Bafana will play an international friendly against Uganda at home on June 10. This will be coach Hugo Broos’ first match since taking over the reins from Molefi Ntseki this month.
Ntseki was sacked by the South African Football Association after failing to guide Bafana to the Africa Cup of Nations finals in Cameroon next year. Tau says Broos’ previous success with the Cameroonian national team puts him in a good stead as a coach.
Although Broos is expected to miss the game against Uganda as he’ll be back at home, Belgium, for his second jab of the Covid-19 vaccine, with assistants Cedomir Janevski and Helman Mkhalele expected to sit in the dugout, the 69-year-old coach named the Bafana squad.
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It was relatively a youthful selection. And Tau who’s one of the few experienced campaigners will have to guide the youngsters, considering that he might also be one of three overage players in the Under-23 team which will play in the Olympic Games.
“I think we’ll take the responsibility well because there’s many of us that can handle it. I am sure that there are young players that will want to take the responsibility because there are tournaments that will want them to be responsible,” Tau said.
“It’s going to be challenging because some of us don’t enjoy being leaders or always talking. But now, there’s no one and we’ll be forced to talk and lead, but we’ll see how it goes. I came home to rest but the programme is tight and there’s a lot to do.”
IOL Sport