Wydad to test Al Ahly resolve with Percy Tau bid

According to reports in Egypt, the Bafana Bafana striker is unsettled following an alleged fallout with coach Marcel Kohler – and a reunion with Rulani Mokwena, who is now in charge at Wydad, could be Tau’s next move. 

Kaizer Chiefs coach Nasreddine Nabi also confirmed the Soweto giants would be interested in bringing the player back to the Premier Soccer League if the two clubs were to negotiate “through the proper channels”. 

But Mokwena’s relationship with Tau, as well as the fact that Wydad could be prepared to get as close as possible to the forward’s wages of around R20-million a year, will likely sway the transfer in their favour. 

The duo have a close relationship from their days at Mamelodi Sundowns, before Mokwena joined rivals Orlando Pirates, but there has been public confirmation that they have remained in touch over the years. 

Wydad are believed to have initially enquired about the striker’s services, but were given the impression Ahly would not sell the reigning African interclub Player of the Year to one of their biggest competitors on the continent at first. 

But the public broadcaster has been led to believe Ahly are now more open to having a conversation about the best way to resolve the Tau saga without having to terminate his contract and letting him go for free. 

The decision to prematurely cut short the player’s contract means they would have to pay him out a hefty settlement or risk Tau dragging the matter to FIFA, so the viable option for all parties would be to sell.  

Tau remains tied to the Egyptian giants until June 2025 and would be prepared to see out his contract – even if he is not playing – because of how lucrative the deal was when structured. 

But with Bafana featuring in FIFA World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, Tau will need to get a club where he is a regular to ensure his inclusion in coach Hugo Broos’ squad. 

Broos has dropped Tau for the upcoming AFCON qualifiers against Uganda and South Sudan next month, stating his situation at Ahly as the major contributing factor in the decision to omit the striker. 

Wydad announced on Thursday that the club had finally been able to get world governing body FIFA to lift the transfer bans imposed on the Botola Pro League side, allowing them to register their new signings – including another SA forward in Cassius Mailula, who joined on loan from Toronto FC in the MLS. 

They are now targeting Tau as one of the seven foreign players they are allowed to sign before the window closes on 19 September. 

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