AFCON winner and Bafana Bafana legend Doctor Khumalo has hit back at critics following some of the reactions to his comparison of Teboho Mokoena’s role and that of the late Shoes Moshoeu in the AFCON2023.
South Africa defeated DR Congo 5-4 on penalties in a third place play-off to secure a bronze medal following a goalless draw on Saturday evening.
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Among Bafana's standout players in the competition was midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who despite missing his spot-kick against Nigeria, was first in line to take Bafana's opening penalty in the shootout against DR Congo.
Earlier, Khumalo had landed in hot water on social media after he compared Mokoena to Moshoeu stating: 'In Teboho, you see a bit of Shoes [Moshoeu].'
Had a sit down with 16v on the DnA podcast with @10bet_ZA and he says he sees similarities between the current crop and his teammates at BAFANA #10betBafaana pic.twitter.com/YPcNNBvX30
— Andile Ncube (@AndileNcube) February 2, 2024
A ke hane bolo a ke itse, mara "a bit of Shoes in Teboho Mokoena"? "I see a bit of me in Morena"?????? Hai Legend???????? pic.twitter.com/1nmAEdNxTC
— LeHippy (@nkerelang) February 2, 2024
Teboho see bit of Shoes? Yoh ?? https://t.co/2eFHuo1rtY
— TITO (@GiftMokgehle) February 2, 2024
Speaking to media after the Bafana DR Congo match at the 10bet viewer experience at PDL lifestyle in Soweto, Khumalo said his comparison had been misunderstood.
"I don’t even want to talk about Teboho. I made a comparison on a 10bet podcast and people thought I was talking crap," Khumalo said.
"Teboho cannot play like Shoes, he cannot do what Shoes was doing but his physical capacity, his mental capacity, the confidence he poses, that is Shoes.
"Sometimes listen in order for you to learn. Don’t criticise for the sake of criticising. I was talking like that, I said that he looks like Shoes because he is the only player that resembles the mentality of Shoes in that team.
"Free-kicks, he (Mokoena) is confident, when we are not on song, he’s the one that makes us play and why is he the first one to take penalties?
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"I personally was not on song (in the AFCON 1996), from the group stages, last 16, quarter-finals. The only time I came to the party was the semis and the final, but Shoes was all over.
"That’s what I was referring to. I never said he plays like Shoes.
"Sometimes we need to understand as South Africans that allow people that have walked the path to educate you because you like to discriminate and discredit without having better facts.
"He missed a penalty in the semi-finals but he opted to take the first one. That is leadership that was Shoes.
"I was a very prolific player because Shoes empowered my mentality. People don’t know that and sometimes if you were not part of a set up don’t just say something for the sake of saying it. Leave it to the experts, those who were there."
Meanwhile, Bafana now turn their attention to an upcoming friendly match against Andorra to be played in March.
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