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Dumitru: SA strikers an insult

Johannesburg - Veteran coach Ted Dumitru has launched a scathing attack on South Africa's strikers, describing them as "an insult to professional soccer".

Dumitru, a former Bafana Bafana, Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs and Sundowns coach, watched on as the national side could only muster a goalless draw against a Senegal outfit in shockingly poor form following their Africa Cup of Nations humiliation last month.

That type of performance has also been an all-too-common experience in the Premiership this season, with none of the top-five goalscorers anywhere close to achieving the expected haul of 25 goals in a season.

"Our strikers are inconsistent and less committed in the box. It's an insult to professional soccer," Dumitru told Sunday World.

"It sounds all too good that our league has a lot of money, but players are judged on performance in the field of play."

Moroka Swallows' Siyabonga Nomvethe and Katlego Mphela of Mamelodi Sundowns currently top the scoring charts with nine each after the opening 17 league encounters - a statistic Bidvest Wits coach Roger de Sa finds unbelievable.

He said: "If they could not score half of the target (25) in 17 games, what will make them score more goals with only 13 games left to play?

"It will be difficult to even get past the 20 goal mark."

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