Stars of Africa Academy director Farouk Khan has weighed in on the criticism surrounding Bafana Banana coach, Hugo Broos’ squad selection ahead of the highly anticipated AFCON tournament.
Broos recently announced his final 23-man squad due for an international friendly against Zambia on Saturday. The encounter will serve as Bafana’s final official preparation match before the AFCON kicks off in December in Morocco.
With AFCON and the 2026 FIFA World Cup drawing closer, several players have stepped up their game, drawing Broos’ attention. Predictably, Broos’ announcement sparked debate and raised eyebrows across the football community.
The snubbing of players like Orlando Pirates’ midfielder, Relebohile Mofokeng and Wydad Casablanca’s Thembinkosi Lorch has been the most widely discussed. Pundits like Bafana legend, Lucas Radebe, have chipped in on the discussion. The Leeds United ambassador maintained that although Lorch has been outstanding at his club, the team has also done well without him.
Contrary to popular criticism, Khan expressed admiration for Broos’ selection strategy. He emphasised that the former Cameroon gaffer prioritises merit over club affiliation or league stature when selecting his squad.
“What I admire about Hugo Broos is that he looks at the PSL across the board and he picks his team accordingly,’ Khan told FARPost. “Many people have doubted some of the players, but he has proven that he does not just go after big names but goes after players that can make a difference.”
KHAN IS NOT CONCERNED WITH LACK OF CHIEFS PLAYERS IN THE BAFANA SET-UP
One recurring concern has been Broos’ exclusion of Kaizer Chiefs players. He previously stated that the club’s overall performance did not warrant any of its players earning a national team call-up.
Nevertheless, a couple of players have shown some improvement. Left-back Thabiso Monyane and goalkeeper Brandon Petersen have stood out as the two names receiving the most endorsement.
Petersen has impressively recorded seven clean sheets in 11 league appearances. In the process, he has conceded a total of six goals. As for Monyane, despite missing a few games due to injury, the Soweto giants are yet to lose a game in which the 25-year-old was involved [seven].
However, in September, the 73-year-old Broos did call up Chiefs midfielder, Mduduzi Shabalala. Shabalala made his senior national team debut when Bafana beat Rwanda 3-0 in Mbombela in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. This result secured their place in the upcoming World Cup.
Despite that, Shabalala has once again been omitted from the most recent squad. This means Bafana will once again feature no Kaizer Chiefs player.
Khana, a former Chiefs assistant, was quick to clarify that his personal assessment of Chiefs players has no bearing on his overall support for Broos’s selection strategy.
“Even as a former Kaizer Chiefs person, I am not saying that there are no Chiefs players who stand out. But I have to be honest and look at the man’s results and say, ‘How can I argue with him when he is producing such great results? ‘
BROOS BACKED BY RESULTS
He further stressed that Broos’ choices are beyond reproach, as they are validated by results on the pitch.
“You can’t argue because the results are there for everyone to see. Even if he picks six or seven from one team and they win,” concluded Khan.
Bafana’s upcoming friendly against Zambia will be the final chance for Broos to fine-tune his squad before their AFCON opener against Angola in December.
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