Thapelo Maseko Eyes Bafana Bafana Legend’s World Cup Record in South Africa’s Tie vs Canada
Thapelo Maseko is on the brink of joining an exclusive list of Bafana Bafana stars who have scored multiple goals in a single FIFA World Cup, as South Africa continue their remarkable campaign in North America.
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The young winger proved decisive on Thursday morning, netting the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over South Korea to send Bafana Bafana into the knockout rounds for the first time in the nation's history.
Even before delivering that historic strike, the 22-year-old had already established himself as one of South Africa's standout performers. During the team's second Group A fixture against Czechia, Maseko's explosive pace and skill inside the box forced the penalty that earned Hugo Broos' men a valuable 1-1 draw.
His outstanding displays have all but guaranteed him another starting berth when South Africa meet tournament co-hosts Canada in the Round of 32 in Los Angeles on Sunday night (9pm kick-off). Victory would see Bafana reach the last 16 of the World Cup for the first time ever.
Maseko will also have another personal milestone within reach. A goal against Canada would make him just the second South African player to score more than once at a single World Cup tournament, matching Shaun Bartlett's achievement from France 1998, where the former striker scored twice against Saudi Arabia.
Former Bafana striker Siyabonga Nomvethe believes Maseko has everything required to write his name alongside Bartlett in South African football history.
"It's wonderful to see a young player finding the back of the net on football's biggest stage. Every footballer dreams of scoring at the World Cup," Nomvethe told Independent Media in an exclusive interview.
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"I believe performances like these will create even greater opportunities for him in the future and possibly open doors abroad.
"My advice is simple: keep working hard and stay hungry. Hopefully, he can score again in the next match because he has tremendous ability. He's shown that football comes naturally to him, and I truly believe he has the potential to achieve great things."
Although Canada will enjoy home support and enter the contest full of confidence, South Africa know they will also have to contend with the likely return of captain Alphonso Davies, who has recovered from the injury that ruled him out of the group stage.
Despite Davies' expected comeback, Thabo September, who previously coached Maseko in the SuperSport United reserve setup, is convinced the Bafana winger is capable of causing Canada's defence serious problems.
"Canada may have Alphonso Davies available again, but Thapelo has the quality to compete against any defender," September told Independent Media.
"When he's at his best, he's fearless and can beat anyone one-on-one. The South Korea match was the biggest game of these players' careers up to now, but every round becomes even bigger as they continue progressing.
"Against Canada there will be even more pressure, but I believe Thapelo will rise to the occasion. Many people had already written South Africa off before this tournament, yet he's the type of player who delivers when expectations are against him. That's what separates special players."
While Maseko has emerged as South Africa's biggest attacking weapon, there is still room for improvement. He squandered a few promising opportunities against South Korea and occasionally held onto the ball longer than necessary.
However, September believes those are natural areas of development for a player still early in his career.
"One thing I know about Thapelo is that he learns from every match he plays," September added.
"Training and competing alongside experienced professionals such as Themba Zwane, Teboho Mokoena and Relebohile Mofokeng will only help him develop further. I have no doubt he can become an outstanding player for both Bafana Bafana and whichever club he represents."
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Source: Briefly News
