Battle-scarred former Kaizer Chiefs defender Rodney Thobejane has come to the defence of the side's centre-back Given Msimango in the midst of the recent criticism directed at the ex-TS Galaxy man.
Msimango was on the receiving end of negative comments for allowing Royal AM to make a comeback in Chiefs' most recent match 2-2 last Saturday, having led by two goals at half-time.
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The lanky defender is blamed for not 'taking one' for the team for Thwihli Thwahla's second goal by letting the player pass by easily.
On Sunday, the Soweto giants are up against the sometimes stubborn Polokwane City, and it is unclear whether head coach Nasreddine Nabi will once again tinker with his leaky back four.
"When it comes to football, every player makes mistakes. Msimango is not a bad player. Supporters need to allow him to be himself," notes Thobejane.
"There are stages in football where you need to adjust and adapt. However, because Kaizer Chiefs is a big team, everyone expects immediate results.
"Though Msimango is one of the best in his position, he does have some minor mistakes. But in football, the players who make mistakes are often the ones who are actively involved during a game.
"Msimango's mistakes are easily identified because he is not hiding on the pitch. He is going to be a great player for South Africa one day," adds the man who also turned out for Dynamos.
Thobejane remains impressed with what the 27-year-old has deliver during his time at Naturena Chiefs so far, noting there's no way a footballer can be perfect and not make mistakes in every match.
"The problem with Chiefs fans is that they see both their rivals, Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns, collecting points weekly, which leads to them being harsher on the team.
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"Yes, we can talk about being robust and 'taking one for the team', but in football, you always do the first thing that comes to mind. There's no time to think when you are in possession.
"What if you foul a player and get a red card, allowing the opposition to score from the resulting free-kick? You ask yourself a lot of questions in those moments.
"It always depends on the situation you are in at that particular moment. Msimango should be allowed to make mistakes. That's what the game is all about anyway. We grow through our mistakes," concludes 'Danger', as he is fondly known.