So Free State Stars' hot-shot striker, Sthembiso Ngcobo, is not ready to play for Bafana Bafana!

So Free State Stars' hot-shot striker, Sthembiso Ngcobo, is not ready to play for Bafana Bafana!

He will never ever be.

While it is every player's ambition to play for their country's national teams, Ngcobo's decision must surely be a first.

It is said he believes he is not confident enough to play for Bafana Bafana.

He also feels he is not on top of his game yet.

He also does not want to add to the numbers in camp but to add value to the squad.

Amen!

This is the second time that he has failed to avail himself for the national cause.

He did it against Zambia when he claimed he was injured.

What do we make of this?

There are two ways to look at it.

Either he is a coward or he is an honest man indeed.

Some would like to crucify him.

Others believe he has set a good example for some to follow.

Ngcobo has scored some beautiful goals for Ea lla Koto recently.

He also capped his performances by being named player of the month for January.

To many, he has earned his call-up.

We always say players must be called up based on current form.

He fitted the criteria.

What we have always forgotten to consider is what Ngcobo has suddenly made us realise.

Is current form considered in conjunction with readiness?

Methinks there is a lesson for all of us to learn here.

I wonder how many coaches could have thought a player would snub a national team call-up for the reasons advanced by Ngcobo?

That goes for the media too.

We always cry foul, questioning what player so and so should now do to be noticed by the national coach and his technical staff.

Some are saying he has closed the door for a future national call-up.

All because he had the guts to tell the truth?

The national team jersey is not for the faint-hearted.

It takes guts and broad shoulders.

Remember there are more than 20 million critics and experts out there.

They are all watching.

The other 20 million plus does not really care or understand.

One day Ngcobo will be ready.

We do not have to crucify him then for what he has done now.

We have forgiven some offenders before, others were even serial offenders but we embraced them when they returned to the fold.

Let's not mention names.

But you know them.

Let that also not deter Bafana Bafana from concentrating on the bigger picture as there is the smallernyana matter of the Confederations Cup in three months' time and the 2010 World Cup to attend to.

Hoping Bafana Bafana played well last night.

l Someone at SABC TV in Auckland Park needs to jack up their act.

Whoever assigns the so-called football analysts at Dithering Heights must be told to do their homework before appointing the panelists.

How do you explain having two such "experts" unpacking the derby between Kaizer Chiefs and Moroka Swallows like it was done last Saturday evening with Chris Bongo and Cudjoe Amankwaa.

The two guys were obviously clueless about the history of this derby.

Then the next day they had Mike Mangena and David Kekana on the Ajax Cape Town and Bloemfontein Celtic game.

Sports Indaba believes they should have been switched around as the two locals would have been able to do some justice to the derby while Bongo and Amankwaa would have been more suited to the other game.

One last thought and word of advice to panelists and other soccer followers - statistics are not a very good departure point to predict the outcome of a game.

If that were so, then some fixtures would not need to be played as the stats would "tell" us who will win.