Percy Tau had strict instructions to run at Sudanese right back Mohamed El-Rasheed following intel that he was being played out of position in the recent 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier over the Fifa international break.
Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki confirmed that he'd received information from his opposition scouts that El-Rasheed would perhaps not the best of defenders and gave talisman Tau license to have a go at him in their match on Sunday.
El-Rasheed was yellow carded 24 minutes into the match for obstructing Tau and played the rest of the match on edge – giving the South African plenty space to shine.
"We played Percy on the left wing because we have profiled their right back – he is actually a right winger converted to be a right back. So we knew that Percy would always have a go at him and I think he did exactly that," Ntseki explained following Bafana's narrow 1-0 victory over Sudan, who were hardly a threat throughout.
Many would have expected Tau to be paired with striker Lebo Mothiba, but the national team coach explained afterwards why he'd deployed the Club Brugge playmaker on the left.
