Despite featuring in the initial Bafana Bafana selection for the COSAFA Cup, players from Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates, and Mamelodi Sundowns are conspicuously absent from the final squad. Here’s the reason why.
Helman Mkhalele, assistant coach to Hugo Broos, will be in charge of the team for this competition. Broos’ contract allows him to skip the COSAFA Cup.
One week ago, Mkhalele announced a provisional squad of 50 players, including several from the so-called big clubs from Gauteng.
However, in a surprising turn of events, the final squad revealed on Friday did not include the expected players from the “big three” and TS Galaxy.
Notable omissions from the final team were Relebohile Mofokeng, Sipho Chaine, Thalente Mbatha, Samkelo Zwane, Mduduzi Shabalala, Siyabonga Mabena, Lesiba Nku, Bruce Bvuma, Melusi Buthelezi, Zuki Mdunyelwa, Thabiso Monyane, Puso Dithejane, Macbeth Mahlangu, Kamogelo Sebelebele and Thabiso Sesane.
WHY BIG THREE AND SOME OF TS GALAXY PLAYERS AREN’T PART BAFANA SQUAD FOR COSAFA CUP?
FARPost understands Chiefs, Pirates, Sundowns and Galaxy withheld their players, each citing their own reasons.
Chiefs had three players who received call-ups – Shabalala, Zwane and Bvuma. It is understood the club wants the trio to be present for the full pre-season especially due to the appointment of new coach Nasreddine Nabi who still has to do his assessment on the whole squad.
Reports suggest that the Phefeni Glamour Boys will soon jet out to Turkey where they will be preparing for the upcoming season in what should be a fresh start under Nabi.
Meanwhile, Pirates also had a handful of players in the squad but, just like their arch-rivals Chiefs, the club wants them to travel with the team to Spain for pre-season.
Sundowns also kept hold of Siyabonga Mabena, Lesiba Nku and Zuko Mdunyelwa who were expected to give a boost to Mkhalele’s team.
Moreover, Galaxy only have one player in the final team, Lehlohonolo Mojela. It is understood, they initially didn’t release theirs before they had a change of mind when it was already late.
Bafana head coach Hugo Broos views the COSAFA Cup as a valuable opportunity for his players to gain international experience in preparation for tougher tournaments.
He even suggested that established players like Patrick Maswanganyi, Mlondi Mbanjwa, and Elias Mokwana, who have featured for the senior national team, could benefit from participating in the COSAFA Cup.
WHAT BROOS THINKS ABOUT COSAFA CUP?
“Take players like, let’s say three months ago, Mokwana, Moremi, Mbanjwa, even Maswanganyi, they don’t have any international experience. If you could get a team like that and let them play Cosafa, they could play later qualifiers for AFCON, for Olympics and so on,” said Broos.
“You won’t have that lack [of experience] anymore. And when you’re good enough, you will be with the national team and have experience, not just CAF Champions League or Confederation Cup experience but international experience, that can help us a lot.
“So we have a list of players, we will give the list to PSL, to select 23 players from that list and we’ll see. I hope we get them, I hope, but not more…”
The COSAFA Cup takes place in Gqeberha from 26 June to 7 July.
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