Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has explained the three vital elements Mamelodi Sundowns star Themba Zwane brings to the national team.
Zwane was the star of day as he scored a brace in Bafana’s 4-0 thumping of Sierra Leone in an international friendly clash at FNB Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
It was Zwane’s first Bafana appearance under Broos, who was full of praise for the midfielder.
Before making a U-turn and going against his word, Broos had reiterated that he will never call up Zwane to the national team due to his age as the Bafana mentor prefers younger players.
But the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) winning coach has since admitted that Bafana needs Zwane while highlighting the attributes the playmaker brings to the national team.
WHAT ZWANE BRINGS…
“I’m not a coach who has special mentions for some players but what Themba Zwane did [against Leone Stars,” Broos told the media after the game.
“Maybe, hopefully, the missing link in our team. The guy who can keep the ball, the guy who can give passes and the guy who can score.
“So, I’m very happy with it; it took a long time, but you know my philosophy, first of all, youngsters, and then we will see.
“But then again, everyone should appreciate a change of mind. This is not easy for a coach when he’s always saying three or four months, no, no, no and then suddenly. But okay, I’m not afraid to do that.
“And Themba showed that he deserves his position in the team. So I’m very happy about the performance, but I want to see the same thing next Tuesday.”
Meanwhile, Broos also said that it was important for Bafana to win and re-establish their confidence ahead of the upcoming Afcon qualifiers.
“It wasn’t only about me, but there was a lot of negativity against the national team and about me as a coach recently, so it was important for us to perform well,” he said.
“We did, scoring four goals, putting on good performances and hopefully, we can take that into next week Tuesday.”
Bafana will next tackle neighbours Botswana at the FNB Stadium.
