Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has clarified his position on the potential call-up of naturalised player Gaston Sirino.
While Sirino, born in Uruguay, holds a South African passport and is eligible to represent the national team, Broos has other plans.
With key playmaker Themba Zwane sidelined for several months due to an Achilles injury sustained in the recent AFCON 2025 qualifier against Congo, Sirino’s name emerged as a potential replacement. Zwane has been instrumental in Bafana’s midfield, but his absence leaves a significant void.
South Africa are set to face Uganda and South Sudan in their final AFCON qualifiers this month. They need only two points to secure qualification for the 2025 tournament in Morocco. Despite the potential boost Sirino could offer, Broos has opted for other options to fill the void left by Zwane.
Uganda currently leads the group with 10 points, while Bafana are second with eight. Two wins could see Congo potentially reaching 10 points, but Bafana’s superior head-to-head record against them would secure their qualification.
WHAT HUGO BROOS SAID ABOUT GASTON SIRINO
When announcing his final squad that will do battle against Uganda and Sudan, he explained Sirino’s omission.
“No, I have to be honest,” said Broos when asked by FARPost if he considered calling up Sirino.
“I know that Sirino is a very good player. I know also that he can be very important for Chiefs but he is not really the type of player I want. Secondly, he is also 34, I think.
“So I have been looking for months to have somebody younger than Themba [Zwane] because he is old, so I don’t go there [select old players] because I want to find younger [ones] than Sirino even if he is a good player, but he doesn’t really match my ideas of football.”
The former Mamelodi Sundowns playmaker Sirino has been in fine form for his club, Kaizer Chiefs. The 33-year-old has scored two goals and registered four assists in seven games for Amakhosi in the 2024/25 so far.
Broos’ troops have been drawn in Group K of the AFCON qualifiers alongside Congo, South Sudan, and Uganda. Bafana Bafana will face Uganda away on November 15th and South Sudan at home on November 19th.
With two more points, South Africa, under coach Hugo Broos, will secure consecutive AFCON qualifications.
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