Xola Mlambo is the best midfielder in the country and should be playing for Bafana Bafana, according to Orlando Pirates assistant coach Rulani Mokwena.

The central midfielder, known as Ten-Ten, earned rave reviews for his performances and more importantly, his work ethic and attitude since joining the Soweto giants from Bidvest Wits in January.

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Such as has been his influence that Mlambo has been an ever-present member of the Buccaneers outfit barring one competitive game.

‘Xola Mlambo, who I think should be in Bafana Bafana, for me at this moment in time is the best midfielder in the country,’ Mokwena told Kickoff.

‘He possesses so many qualities that a lot of other midfielders don’t have, in terms of his pressure resistance, his ability to play in multiple positions from an offensive phase and his overall reading of the game, and I think that sets him apart.

‘I think for him now, the challenge in particular is to be a bit more consistent and work towards that Bafana call-up, because I think it’s on the way,’ he added.

The former Chippa United midfielder was even compared to former Mamelodi Sundowns and current Amiens SC star Bongani Zungu.

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‘He reminds me of the time I used to work with Bongani Zungu – his dedication and commitment to the game, as well as his work ethic.

‘A lot of people don’t know that at Pirates there are times when the players leave at 7pm. They arrive at 8am and the likes of Xola would stay behind and do extra training and match analysis.

‘There was a day Xola and [Vincent] Pule stayed behind and had three sessions: one team session, another individual and technical session after lunch and then we stayed for about three hours analysing their games and doing corrections.

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‘There’s a lot of hard work that gets put in behind the scenes, and it’s the results you see when they play on the pitch – they fight and are committed to the cause. That’s a result of all that hard work that a lot of people don’t see,’ he concluded.

Photo: Backpagepix