Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has addressed the absence of key players in his squad, stressing that he’s not worried.
Broos announced his 23-man squad to face Lesotho and Nigeria in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers on the 5th and 9th of September, respectively.
In the recent squad, the Belgian mentor made significant calls by leaving out key players such as Khuliso Mudau, Jayden Adams, Fawaaz Basadien, Thapelo Morena, and Mihlali Mayambela.
Broos cited a dip in form as a reason he left out most of the players, while Mudau didn’t make the team after not featuring for Mamelodi Sundowns due to a contractual dispute. The team reported for camp on Monday morning to begin preparations for the two crucial World Cup qualifiers.
Due to late injury setbacks, Broos has made two changes to his squad, with Sipho Mbule and Thabo Moloisane stepping in for the sidelined Patrick Maswanganyi and Ime Okon, respectively.
WHAT HUGO BROOS SAID ABOUT THE ABSENCE OF KEY PLAYERS
With Bafana’s squad now predominantly comprised of players who were not part of the previous camp, Broos has expressed confidence that South Africa possesses a quality player pool to accomplish its objectives.
“First of all, we have enough pool of players, about 40 players, and every week we are following them,” Broos said at the Bafana media day on Monday at the Dobsonville Stadium in Soweto.
“Some of them [we follow their games] live, and others on Wyscout, so we know exactly which level all players have. So, for example, when a player like [Thapelo] Morena is not with us, we need to find a player with the same qualities as this guy [Kamogelo Sebelebele] next to me. He’s quick, he has good feet, and we always try to go in the same direction when other players are not there.
“And when they come here and it’s the first time for them, we should have confidence in them. I know which qualities they have, and it’s up to them to show that.
“So I’m not worried because I have full confidence in the team and I know that we will be able to win against Lesotho and get good results against Nigeria.”
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