Orlando Pirates legend Steve Lekoelea has praised Oswin Appollis after the winger produced three assists in Bafana Bafana’s 5-0 victory over Eritrea on Wednesday.
Appollis, 25, did not score in the match but played a decisive role in the emphatic result, strengthening his case after a difficult period of form for both club and country.
His performance followed comments from head coach Pitso Mosimane after Bafana Bafana’s 2-1 win against Guinea last weekend. Mosimane said Appollis should avoid drifting away from the wing, remain on the left and allow team-mate Aubrey Modiba to move inside.
Although those remarks prompted a mixed reaction among supporters, Lekoelea believes Appollis has shown that he is willing to follow instructions and put the team’s needs first.
“Every player should behave like Appollis. In football, to last longer, you must be coachable; you have to be strong physically and mentally. Appollis is a national star. Yesterday [Wednesday] he showed he can play at the highest level,” Lekoelea told KickOff.
Lekoelea was less impressed with the performances of some of Appollis’ team-mates, despite South Africa securing a convincing midweek victory.
“The same can’t be said about some of his teammates; they were too casual, especially the keeper and the centre-backs. They undermined Eritrea.
“I’m afraid this might be a habit. To make the world respect you, you must destroy the smaller countries by scoring a lot of goals,” he said.
Appollis had been among the standout performers for club and country before the FIFA World Cup in June. However, his form declined during the following months and he was unable to reproduce his best level at the tournament.
The winger has also yet to find his top form for Orlando Pirates during the current campaign. His latest display for Bafana Bafana, though, suggests he may be returning to the level that previously made him one of the team’s key attacking players.
