Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has addressed the national team prospects of in-form Kaizer Chiefs defender Thabiso Monyane, hinting at when he might consider him.
This comes after Broos named his final 23-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Nigeria. Both matches will be held at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.
On Friday, September 5, Bafana will face Lesotho, followed by a home game against Nigeria on Tuesday, September 9. Both matches are scheduled for 6:00 PM.
Broos’s squad includes familiar faces, such as captain Ronwen Williams, Nyiko Mobbie, and Teboho Mokoena. There are also a few new additions, including Chiefs star Mduduzi Shabalala, Kamogelo Sebelebele of Orlando Pirates and Hannover 96 defender Ime Okon.
However, one notable exclusion is the new Chiefs right-back, despite his impressive form. Broos has opted to stick with Mobbie and has also selected Zuko Mdunyelwa for the right-back position.
Monyane has been a standout performer for Chiefs since his move from Orlando Pirates at the end of last season. He has been a key part of the team’s strong start to the Betway Premiership, featuring in all four of their games and contributing to three wins and a draw. Amakhosi have also kept four clean sheets with him in the squad.
THABISO MONYANE’S BAFANA CALL-UP: BROOS HINTS AT FUTURE SELECTION
The 25-year-old made his Bafana Bafana debut two years ago in an international friendly against Namibia. However, injuries have hampered his progress, limiting him to just 12 appearances last season and 31 the season before at Pirates.
When asked about Monyane’s exclusion, Broos acknowledged the player’s good form but emphasised the need for consistency.
“That was a guy that was on our list a year ago, and he played a friendly with us, I think, but it was more than a year ago,” said Broos on Thursday in Johannesburg.
“When you see what has happened to him at Pirates, he didn’t play anymore, and now he is back at Chiefs, and you see little by little [growing in form and confidence], but maybe selecting him for these upcoming games was going to be a little bit too soon.”
The coach added that if Monyane continues to perform, he will be considered for the October World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Rwanda.
“I hope that he can confirm in the next weeks what he has shown us so far in the past few weeks at Chiefs and then again, maybe we can be with him in the games in October.”
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