Former South Africa midfielder Siphiwe Tshabalala says it took some strong words from then Bafana Bafana assistant coach Pitso Mosimane for him to regain his "A game" following an unconvincing patch of form in the run-up to the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
Tshabalala got the World Cup going with a superb goal in the opening match of the tournament although South Africa drew 1-1 with Mexico at FNB Stadium on June 11.
But the season before he muscled his way into Carlos Alberto Parreira's final squad for the tournament, the coaches went hard on the midfielder who had six Premier Soccer League (PSL) goals for Kaizer Chiefs and provided two assists in 26 matches.