Percy Tau can’t stop scoring and, statistically at least, is on track to surpass Benni McCarthy’s current record goal tally for Bafana Bafana.
Tau scored a brace in the national side’s 4-2 win over Sao Tome and Principe in Port Elizabeth on Monday afternoon.
Those two goals brought the diminutive striker’s total to 12 in 25 matches for his country since making his international debut in 2015.
Tau’s strike-rate of a goal every second match compares favourably in comparison to McCarthy who netted 31 goals in his 80 matches for Bafana.
If the former Mamelodi Sundowns star, who is currently on loan at Anderlecht in Belgium, is able to maintain his current red-hot form, he would reach 31 goals in 65 matches.
For Bafana’s sake, they will hope 26-year-old Tau remains injury-free and continues his scoring spree if they are to qualify for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations as well as the Soccer World Cup in Qatar later that year.
Following their win at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Bafana are well on track to qualify for the next edition of the AFCON to be played in Cameroon in January-February 2022.
They are currently tied with Ghana at the top of Group C, albeit having played one more match. The top two countries in each group will qualify for the tournament.
Bafana’s remaining two qualifiers will take place on March 22, 2021 (home v Ghana) and March 30, 2021 (away v Sudan).
TOP 10 SCORERS IN BAFANA BAFANA HISTORY:
1. Benni McCarthy – 31
2. Shaun Bartlett – 29
T3. Katlego Mphela, Bernard Parker – 23
5. Phil Masinga – 19
6. Siyabonga Nomvete – 16
7. Sibusiso Zuma – 13
T8. Tokelo Rantie, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Percy Tau – 12
