In the realm of club football, Khanyisa Mayo blazes trails with Cape Town City FC, but his performances for Bafana Bafana paint a different picture.
Mayo’s excellence at CT City stands in stark contrast to his endeavors with Bafana. With 10 goals in 21 appearances for the Citizens, his brilliance remains undeniable, yet his international outings since 2022 tally up to a series of blank sheets.
His recent encounter against Andorra adds to a list that includes Sierra Leone, Angola, Botswana, and Eswatini, leaving Mayo in pursuit of his inaugural international goal.
Nevertheless, retired former Bafana star Siphiwe Tshabalala, boasting 12 goals in 91 national team appearances, extends a guiding hand to the aspiring striker.
“He’s a good footballer and he’s got an eye for goals. And I’m happy that he got his chance and we must understand sometimes it’s not a rejection,” remarked Shabba during a recent briefing. “If you are a positive person, you also take not as a ‘not now’. Wait, your turn will come.”
Acknowledging Mayo’s disappointment at missing out on 2023 AFCON selection, Tshabalala underscored the significance of consistent performance at the club level as the cornerstone for international recognition.
“The most important thing about cementing your place in the national team, it’s not in the national team, it’s at club level. So, you must be consistent at that level, week in, week out,” he emphasized.
With an eye on Mayo’s future, Tshabalala encouraged him to remain level-headed and dedicated to his craft. Mayo’s opportunity for redemption may come as he is poised to feature in Bafana Bafana’s upcoming friendly against Algeria (23h00) on Tuesday at Nelson Mandela Stadium in Baraki, Algiers.
As Mayo strives to make his mark on the international stage, Tshabalala’s words serve as a beacon of wisdom, reminding him that success is not merely measured in goals scored but in the resilience to overcome obstacles along the way.