Following Bafana Bafana’s 0-0 draw with Zimbabwe in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Friday night, coach Hugo Broos has disclosed what he told Sipho Mbule during the half-time break.
The match between the Warriors and South Africa was played at a neutral venue, Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium, where Zimbabwe was designated the home team. This relocation is mandatory as none of Zimbabwe’s stadiums meet current FIFA accreditation requirements for World Cup qualifiers.
‘MasterChef,’ as Mbule is popularly known, played the entire 90 minutes against the Michael Nees-coached side.
Mbule made his way back to the national team during the last FIFA international break when Bafana faced Lesotho and Nigeria in the World Cup qualifiers in September 2025.
This came after Patrick Maswanganyi’s withdrawal from the Bafana squad due to an injury setback. The Orlando Pirates star, Mbule, started in both games against Lesotho and Nigeria, playing 74 minutes and 84 minutes, respectively.
THE HALF-TIME BREAK CHAT BETWEEN HUGO BROOS AND SIPHO MBULE
The Belgian mentor, Broos, expressed his satisfaction with Mbule’s performance, noting that he instructed him to be more involved in the game than he was in the first half.
“I think Sipho played a very good game. I said at half-time that he had to be more involved in the game,” said Broos.
“You saw in the second half when he was on the ball, and many times when he was on the field, something good came out of it. So, again, I think after the last games against Lesotho and Nigeria, and now with the game today [Friday], we can be very happy with Sipho’s performance.”
Coach Broos will rely on Mbule to continue his impressive form when Bafana welcome Rwanda to Mbombela Stadium on Tuesday, October 14th. The 18:00 kick-off is a must-win tie, as Bafana needs three points to have any chance of World Cup qualification.
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