Well-travelled coach Owen Da Gama has advised the Bafana Bafana technical team to try under-pressure attacker Percy Tau in a different position in the FIFA World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe.
Tau's recent lukewarm performances for South Africa have turned him into a subject of criticism by fans.
Da Gama says Hugo Broos and his technical think-tank need to play the Al Ahly man as a second striker.
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"Percy Tau is a very good player, he is a quality striker and he's got a lot of achievements, and he is a very intelligent boy," Da Gama says, speaking to KickOff.
"But if a position doesn't work for him within a set-up, then he should be changed. Give him a free role as a second striker and not too wide all the time.
"Give Tau a fresh role.
"All these teams we're playing against know for a fact that he is playing in the [CAF] Champions League and he's won it. So, they plan against a player like Percy. I think the opposition is planning much better against him, it's becoming very predictable, so bringing him as a second striker can confuse the opposition," he continues.
Da Gama, himself aware of the difficult decisions a national team is faced with at times, having taken charge of Bafana at one stage, says he would rather have a player that misses goals than one not missing anything, adding: "It's just a confidence thing."
"When I was an interim coach at Bafana Bafana, I gave Percy Tau his first cap. He came on as a sub and he scored. We beat Burkina Faso 3-1.
"Percy Tau should be given a different role, and sometimes you should bring him on and not start him with the game.
"He is a star player, he's got pace, he's very quick. He should not hold back, he should try to push it a little bit harder.
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"Sometimes you feel he is a little bit too relaxed, but he is a star player, there is no doubt about that."
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