JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - NOVEMBER 05: Relebohile Mofokeng of Orlando Pirates during the Betway Premiership match between Orlando Pirates and Richards Bay at Orlando Stadium on November 05, 2024 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images)`
Following a big debate around showboating, former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder David Modise has suggested why the likes of Relebohile Mofokeng will struggle to express themselves.
Orlando Pirates midfielder Patrick Maswanganyi revived the topic of what is the difference between showboating and expressing yourself, after he received criticism from the legendary Jomo Sono.
Maswanganyi often climbs on the ball and makes tricks to rally the crowd against the opposition, something which is considered a skill in South Africa, as the opposition can lose concentration.
'Tito''s club teammate Mofokeng also did a few showboating skills in the Bafana Bafana shirt against South Sudan, which got the crowd buzzing.
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Modise, who has starred for the likes of Bloemfontein Celtic and Kaizer Chiefs, says has suggested that in South Africa there is double standards on what is considered showboating and skill.
"It's showboating when I want to say it's showboating, it's a skill when somebody wants to say it's a skill. When it's [Lionel] Messi, Neymar, Vinicius Junior, it's a skill, when it's us, it's showboating," Modise said on PrimeSportsWithMahlatse.
"The only problem I have with our players is show the skill but more going forward. If you show your skill and go backwards, that's when people will complain.
"But Vini, sometimes he goes to the line, he wants to do those (over head flicks). Vini is always dribbling, showboating but we're not going to say it's showboating because it's Vini. But when it's Mofokeng... But believe me when you do that going forward, we're not going to complain," Modise added.
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Maswanganyi missed back to back CAF Champions League group stage matches against Al Ahly and Stade d'Abidjan.
There were murmurs that his exclusion could be due to tactical reasons, although Pirates head coach Jose Riveiro has stated that it's for personal reasons.