A former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder has weighed in on Amakhosi players’ omission from the Bafana Bafana squad set to participate in the upcoming CAF AFCON tournament.
The tournament will kick off on Saturday, 13 January, and conclude on Sunday, 11 February 2024, in Ivory Coast.
A fortnight ago, Hugo Broos named his final 23-member squad from the 50-man preliminary squad he announced during the festive holidays.
South Africa will face Lesotho in a training match behind closed doors at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville on Wednesday, 10 January 2024.
After that, Broos’ charges will depart for Ivory Coast on Thursday, 11 January 2024, for the much-awaited AFCON competition.
FORMER KAIZER CHIEFS PLAYER ON AMAKHOSI PLAYERS’ OMISSION
With many football fanatics left wondering about Chiefs players’ omission from the Bafana squad, Mandla Masango shared his thoughts on the matter.
“I think there are players who deserve to be in the national team,” Masango told FARPost.
“Ashley [Du Preez] was doing well, and also he got a call-up to represent Bafana. Sadly, he got injured at the wrong time when it was time to announce the team. The other players, maybe they were not what the coach was looking for.”
HUGO BROOS NAMING BAFANA SQUAD IN BELGIUM
Broos named his Bafana squad in his home county – Belgium, which did not sit well with some people as they felt he treated his Bafana job like a side hustle.
“I don’t think necessarily it gives the disrespect,” said Masango when asked if naming Bafana squad from Belgium signals disrespect for South Africans.
“I mean, it was festive, and most of the players were given off days. He [Broos] does perform his duties. We have qualified for AFCON, and now he’s going to prepare the team.
“For me, I don’t see any problem because nowadays, since COVID-19, people can work from home. So, what’s the difference between that and him? It’s clearly the same thing because it is not like the training camp had started at the time. It’s just that he announced his team from home.
“There are Zoom meetings now. Technology has been introduced since COVID-19. So, I don’t see anything wrong with that.”
RELATED STORY: Kaizer Chiefs starlet to face AFCON-bound Bafana Bafana