Khumalo’s Bafana No. 10 pick: Who steps up without Zwane & Maswanganyi?
With Themba Zwane and Patrick Maswanganyi sidelined due to injury, Bafana Bafana legend Doctor Khumalo has offered his opinion on who Hugo Broos should select as the number 10 against Lesotho.
South Africa are set to face the neighbours Lesotho in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier tie on Friday, 21 March, at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane. The game will start at 18:00.
But they will resume their World Cup qualifiers without the services of Maswanganyi, who has been ruled out of the Bafana squad due to an injury. The Orlando Pirates player replaced Zwane in the most recent Bafana games and performed outstandingly after ‘Mshishi’ experienced a partial tear of his Achilles tendon during international duty with Bafana in October 2024.
In the last two AFCON qualifiers, Maswanganyi made a significant impact by netting a goal in the 2-0 victory against Uganda and another in the 3-0 triumph over South Sudan, helping Bafana book their ticket to the 2025 AFCON.
However, Maswanganyi won’t be part of the Bafana squad this time around due to an injury setback he picked up at training last Saturday when the Buccaneers were preparing for their Betway Premiership tie against Masandawana, which they went on to win with a 2-1 scoreline.
As a result, Broos might rely on Percy Tau, who recently moved to Qatar SC, to take over that position, given his extensive experience. Another possibility would be to include Jayden Adams, who has already fulfilled that role at his former club, Stellenbosch FC and his new team, Mamelodi Sundowns.
ZWANE, MASWANGANYI OUT: DOCTOR KHUMALO NAMES HIS BAFANA NO. 10
Khumalo expressed his desire for Broos to start Adams in the number 10 role, noting that he plays there at the club level, whereas Tau typically plays as a striker.
“I think if we were to talk football, who is more comfortable in that position? For me, it is Adams,” Khumalo told FARPost in an exclusive interview. “If you look at Tau, he is a striker and also sometimes plays as a striker that pins into the left or the right.
“But with Adams, at Stellies and Sundowns, he plays a number 10. He has been there for quite some time for Hugo Broos. So, I think he should play Adams.”
Broos’ troops are placed in Group C of the World Cup qualifiers with Rwanda, Benin, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho.
Currently, Bafana ranks second in Group C, having accumulated seven points from four matches. They share the same points total as group leaders Rwanda.
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