Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has detailed his intervention that helped bring Khuliso Mudau back to training at Mamelodi Sundowns.
The Bafana right back had stayed away from training amid indications of dissatisfaction with contractual issues. He finally returned to training this week.
Sundowns reportedly turned down offers for the talented fullback and exercised an option to extend his contract in June. This means the 30-year-old will remain at the club for another season, despite attracting interest from North African clubs.
In a show of his discontent, Mudau skipped pre-season and has missed the first seven games of Masandawana’s season. Consequently, Broos has omitted him from the squad for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Nigeria in Bloemfontein next month.
Mudau will not participate in the qualifier against Lesotho at the Free State Stadium next Friday, nor in the crucial match against Nigeria on Tuesday, September 9.
BROOS EXPLAINS HIS INTERVENTION IN KHULISO MUDAU SAGA
“First of all, make contact with the club and see what the situation is and then ask [the club] if I can help to solve the problem,” Broos responded to FARPost. “I got the agreement of the coach of Sundowns that I could have a meeting with Khuliso.”
His meeting with the man nicknamed ‘Sailor’ seems to have helped bring the player back to training.
“So, I had a meeting with Khuliso, and I told him that he was right about some things, and he was not right about other things. For example, you don’t solve a problem by not going to training even though there’s disagreement between you and the club. This is an obligation of the player.
“If you don’t play, it’s something else. You can tell [them], ‘okay, I don’t play till the problem is solved’. But you have to go to training. So, I think Khuliso is training now, and I really hope that as soon as possible, that problem is solved because he is the best right back in this country and one of the best right backs in Africa. So, it’s difficult for me that I can’t have him in my team.”
In the absence of Mudau, Broos will put his trust in Siwelele FC’s right back, Nyiko Mobbie, and Zuko Mdunyelwa. Mdunyelwa has been impressive for Sundowns in recent games.
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