Maswanganyi urges South Africa fans to give young players time

Patrick ‘Tito’ Maswanganyi has called on South African football supporters to protect young players from excessive criticism as they develop into potential future stars.

The Bahrain-based midfielder believes Kaizer Chiefs youngsters Mfundo Vilakazi and Mduduzi Shabalala need encouragement, rather than abuse, while adapting to the demands of the Premier Soccer League.

Maswanganyi was speaking to the South African Football Journalists Association (SAFJA) about the pressure faced by emerging players and the role supporters can play in helping them progress.

The former Orlando Pirates player has experienced harsh criticism on social media himself, and said it contributed to his decision to leave South Africa. He believes the next generation should not be subjected to the same treatment.

“I would obviously tell them not to change, you know, because whatever they’ve been doing before, that’s what got them to this stage, so they should keep going, keep trying,” Maswanganyi said.

“But for me also, my thing is for the fans to take it easy, especially on younger players that are coming in.”

Shabalala example highlights pressure

Maswanganyi cited Vilakazi as an example of a young player who can face criticism despite making a genuine effort. He also referred to the reaction when Shabalala missed a penalty for Kaizer Chiefs.

Supporters had appeared to call for Shabalala to be substituted, but the midfielder later won another penalty, helping his side get back into the game.

“I watched Kaizer Chiefs and I saw Mdu [Shabalala] miss a penalty, and I watched the fans, they were signalling for him to go out,” Maswanganyi said.

“I mean, minutes later, he creates another penalty for the team and the team gets back into the game.

“Just imagine if they had taken him out at that time, you know, probably they would never have got even a goal; they would have lost the game.”

Maswanganyi’s wider concern is the effect repeated criticism can have on players who are still learning and developing. He believes supporters should help build their confidence instead of undermining it.

“The more they encourage them, the more they will do for the team. And we need these players to grow, to improve, because they are our future; they’re going to have the Bafana Bafana team. So we need to protect them,” he said.

“We need to show them love, and we need to appreciate them because somewhere outside the country, they show lots of love for young players, you know. But in South Africa, it’s very difficult to show love to those players.”

The midfielder said the youngsters emerging now could eventually play a decisive role for the national team at major tournaments.

“These are the players that can change South African football when they have to compete in the World Cups and AFCON. These are the type of players that can win us trophies as a nation.”