Josephs needs therapy - Hunt

IT WILL take more than sympathetic coaching staff at Bidvest Wits to get keeper Moeneeb "Slim Kat" Josephs sufficiently psyched up before he takes to the field for his team's next Premier Soccer League clash next month.

Josephs is reportedly nervous after Sport Minister Fikile Mbalula, in his tirade against Bafana Bafana, singled out the goalkeeper's erratic performance in their 3-1 loss to Nigeria in Cape Town on Sunday that led to SA's exit from the African Nations Championship (Chan).

Mbalula, who described Bafana as "a bunch of losers", said: "I love Moeneeb, but I don't know what was going on with him [against Nigeria]," said Mbalula. "Two soft goals ... for the second goal the keeper committed the penalty alone, single-handed, without an assist by anybody.

"The boy who comes from Cape Town. He's from just around the corner and all his community and his mother was there. How is going to explain that? That is basically a total disgrace performance."

The keeper did not want to talk much about the Mbalula's diatribe, save to say it was painful to be singled out.

"But there is nothing I can do about it," said Josephs. "Sometimes it becomes difficult to avoid such mistakes. I would not deliberately let the country down. I was shattered when it happened.

"Fortunately, I have a good support structure from my family and close relatives. It's a matter we are dealing with internally and I am confident that we will get through this."

An equally concerned Wits coach, Gavin Hunt, said Josephs was very upset.

"We will see how best we can help the player and prepare him for our PSL fixture against Orlando Pirates on February 4. He must play as soon as possible and I am confident he will soon get over this."