Two decades after his retirement, Shaun Bartlett’s legacy as one of
Bafana Bafana’s greatest goalscorers remains untouched. With 28
international goals, he sits second only to Benni McCarthy’s record of 31—a
testament to the prolonged scarcity of prolific strikers in South African
football.
However, Bartlett believes the long-standing record is finally under threat.
Speaking at the national team’s Castle Lager send-off ahead of the Africa
Cup of Nations, the former Charlton Athletic forward revealed he has
personally challenged rising attacker Mohau Nkota to chase down history.
“I’ve actually thrown that challenge to Mohau Nkota the other day,” Bartlett
said. “I said to him, firstly, I want him to be the next player to score two
goals in a game. And then also to take up first mine and then beat Benni’s.”
Bartlett, who retired in 2005, expressed hope that the current generation
can finally close the gap. “I retired 20 years ago… it’s time that one of
these players obviously gets close,” he added.
While he acknowledged past contenders like Bernard Parker and Katlego
Mphela, Bartlett highlighted Nkota’s potential—provided he stays fit and
earns consistent call-ups.
He also pointed to in-form winger Oswin Appollis as another strong
candidate. “Oswin gets himself in good positions. He’s scored quite a few
goals already for South Africa in probably the least amount of games… I
think Oswin has a better chance of getting close to us.”
With Bafana Bafana aiming for a strong AFCON campaign, Bartlett’s challenge
adds an intriguing subplot: the search for the striker who can finally end
South Africa’s twenty-year wait for a record-breaking goal scorer.
