After netting the winner for Bafana Bafana against Guinea on Monday, Thabiso Kutumela has issued a strong message following his heroics.
Bafana claimed their first win of the 2024 CAF African Nations Championship with a 2-1 victory over Guinea.
Captain Neo Maema opened the scoring after 10 minutes before Guinea equalised in the 37th minute.
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Ten minutes into the second half, Kutumela restored South Africa’s lead to guide them to victory, putting four points on the board after their first two games.
With South Africa’s remaining matches against Niger and Uganda, Kutumela — who was named Man of the Match — stressed that Bafana cannot take their foot off the pedal.
"I’m happy to have won the award, but this trophy is dedicated to all my teammates, the coach, and the entire technical staff," said Kutumela, according to CAFOnline.
"These points boost our morale after the draw in the previous game. It was a tough match, we scored and then dropped back to defend, which cost us a goal that allowed Guinea to equalise.
"This game is important, every game will be important, and we cannot afford to drop points until we face Uganda and Niger, our last opponents."
He added: "I understand that South Africa practises ball retention, but that depends on each game’s situation. We need to keep believing until the end because nothing is lost.
"This was a morale-boosting and deserved victory considering all the work this team has done."
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By Lukhanyo Mtuta
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