Orlando Pirates midfielder Masindi Nemtajela has been omitted from South
Africa’s final 25-man Africa Cup of Nations squad, despite strong recent
form.
Nemtajela earned his first national team call-up last month for a friendly
against Zambia and was named in the preliminary AFCON squad. However, he did
not make the final roster announced by coach Hugo Broos on Monday.
His agent, Nimrod Mbhalati, expressed mixed feelings about the decision.
“Part of me was a bit disappointed, based on his recent form—he was
performing,” Mbhalati told the Siya crew. “But part of me was not, because
as good as he may be, I never expected him to achieve all the things he has
in such a short time. This is a learning curve for him. He’ll go back to the
drawing board and try to make the World Cup squad.”
Mbhalati also highlighted the qualities that propelled Nemtajela’s rapid
rise since joining Pirates before this season.
“What makes him stand out is confidence, besides talent. Everyone knows
Nemtajela is talented, but without confidence, it’s a problem. That boy is
very confident and knows what he wants. He plays every game like it’s his
last,” said the agent.
“Secondly, he’s a different player—more like a modern number eight, your
N’Golo Kanté type. He covers a lot of space, which most number eights don’t.
When the team attacks, he’s there; when they defend, he’s there. Those two
aspects make him different.”
