Sidelined Bafana Bafana striker Lebo Mothiba has listed his national team's weaknesses but has urged his peers not to read much into France’s status when the two sides meet on Tuesday.
France host South Africa in an international friendly match at Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille.
Bafana will be facing a France side composed of a number of World Cup-winning stars like Hugo Lloris, Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezmann, Raphael Varane, Kylian Mbappe, Olivier Giroud and a few others.
With Les Bleus appearing as superior opponents on paper, Mothiba does not want his compatriots to focus on names.
“It is a predominantly technical formation. The ball moves quite well in midfield. But we lack aggression,” Mothiba told Le Parisien.
“Our team is made up mainly of young players. Many of them played for the Olympics at the Tokyo Olympics. They lost against the run of play to France after a very difficult scenario.
“They are a bit stressed. I try to reassure them, even if everyone agrees that the Blues are very good, I tell them, forget the names of your opponents. You are here because you are strong. It's up to you to show your qualities.
“Do what is necessary to leave with your heads held high with the feeling that you have honoured the jersey.”
Mothiba is one of the players being ignored by Bafana coach Hugo Broos.
He has now fully recovered from a long-term injury and has been been in decent form for Troyes on loan from Strasbourg.
Mothiba has previously played in the Bafana team alongside current squad members like Siyanda Xulu, Keagan Dolly, Percy Tau and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.
Despite being overlooked by Broos, the 26-year-old appears to understand the type of players being sought by the Belgian.
“He is looking for promising and ambitious people. He aims to build a strong team for the future,” said Mothiba.
If Mothiba continues playing regular club football, it is yet to be seen if Broos will consider him for the next Bafana camp.
