An unusual trend has developed in Percy Tau's game where he plays an average of 75 minutes per game, and he has now explained the reason behind it.
For the bulk of the 2022/23 season, Tau has been hauled off towards the end of matches, which has raised concerns amongst fans, particularly when the team is in a dire need of a goal.
However, the 29-year-old, speaking to the media at the 10Bet and Bafana Bafana breakfast in Constantia, revealed that this was all part of Al Ahly's plan to preserve him throughout the season and prevent him from getting injured.
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The tactic appears to have worked as the Witbank-born star managed to play 40 matches in all competitions as he helped the team claim the Egyptian Premier League as well as the CAF Champions League titles.
"What is happening at Ahly now is that I don't play 90 minutes anymore," he said.
"I don't know if you guys noticed that. I always got injured after the 75-minute mark, so I play less minutes. I also do a lot of work in the gym before and after - but whenever I'm okay, I still continue with the program, and I am trying to strengthen my legs and the upper body and that's been the secret so far.
"That's the conversation we had, and we decided that the overload was too much, and the traveling plays a role in my injuries. The first one [was] when I came to the national team. We were still doing pre-season and I got injured. The second one, it was late in the match, and I was supposed to go off.
"It's not nice to go off but they always do that to help me so that I can play the whole season. I don't know if it will change this season."
Tau will do battle for Bafana Bafana in their matches against Namibia and DR Congo during the international break.
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