Maswanganyi urges SA fans to go easy on young players
Al Khaldiya midfielder Patrick Maswanganyi has asked South African supporters to be kinder to young players, citing Mfundo Vilakazi and Mduduzi Shabalala.
Patrick ‘Tito’ Maswanganyi has called on South African football supporters to show more patience with young players when they make mistakes, according to iDiski Times.
The 28-year-old midfielder, who now plays for Al Khaldiya in the Bahraini Premier League, spoke at an online press conference hosted by the South African Football Journalists Association (SAFJA).
The Shabalala penalty example
Maswanganyi pointed to the Carling Knockout Cup quarter-final between Kaizer Chiefs and Siwelele FC at the Peter Mokaba Stadium last weekend. Chiefs midfielder Mduduzi Shabalala missed a penalty in that match. Maswanganyi said he saw fans signalling for the player to be substituted.
According to the midfielder, Shabalala stayed on and created a second penalty for his team, which he said brought Chiefs back into the game. “Just imagine if they would have taken him out at that time,” he said.
He also named Chiefs winger Mfundo Vilakazi, saying that when a young player is trying his best but struggling, many fans are quick to speak badly about someone still growing at the club they support. In his view, senior players in a squad are generally better able to handle that kind of criticism than younger ones.
‘The future’ of the national team
Maswanganyi said young players need protection, encouragement and appreciation. “We need to protect them,” he said, adding that they are the future of South African football and will go on to play for Bafana Bafana.
He argued that such players could make a difference at World Cups and the Africa Cup of Nations, and could help win trophies for the country. He also said that outside South Africa, young players receive a lot of love, while at home it is hard to show that same support.
His comments carry personal weight. Maswanganyi moved to Bahrain this season from Orlando Pirates, and he told the same SAFJA press conference that he made the move because he needed peace from the backlash he received from fans on social media.
What it means for supporters
Maswanganyi’s message is aimed at fans in the stadium and online. His argument is that vocal encouragement, rather than harsh reaction to errors, gives young players the best chance to develop and, in time, strengthen the national team.
This story is based on reporting by iDiski Times.
