Former assistant coach at Highlands Park Victor Tshabalala believes the late Luckyboy Mokoena could have featured for Bafana Bafana, if it was not for his niggling injury.
Tshabalala and Mokoena worked together at the Lions Of The North before the club was sold to Tim Sukazi.
The Free State-born Mokoena passed away on Tuesday at the age of 30 years old, following an illness, and was last on the books of Sekhukhune United but was released at the end of the 2021/22 Season.
"Hearing such news brings pain to us as coaches because when we work with these boys we are not only doing it for football, but also their off-the-field life as well," Mokoena tells KickOff.
READ | Broos addresses Makgopa's critics after Morocco win
"We also teach them how to behave and how to become a better father. From what I've heard, he's been sick for a long time.
"After we sold the team [Highlands Park] he also moved to TS Galaxy, and after leaving Galaxy he went to Sekhukhune, and that's where it was discovered he had an ankle problem, an injury that couldn't go away.
"I think it was a recurring injury. That was also the reason he struggled to get a team.
"I remember one time I was chatting go Tapuwa Kapini and he said to me, 'Hey man, when I was at Sekhukhune United, Luckyboy once came and he had lost a lot
of weight and MacDonald Makhubedu asked what was wrong with him, assuming it was stress-related.'
READ | Sundowns' foreign quota dilemma finally solved?
"I think that is when he started getting sick. I will always remember him for the goal he scored against Black Leopards where the game finished at 2-2.
"If he had the same energy as the likes of Mothobi Mvala and Peter Shalulile, in the national team he could have been better than Khuliso Mudau and Nyiko Mobbie.
"He was very good when it could come to starting the ball from the back with those passes, one-two's, very intelligent player."
You must be SIGNED IN to read and post comments.
Click HERE to register!
