Orlando Pirates legend Benedict ‘Tso’ Vilakazi has questioned the continued inclusion of Lyle Foster and Evidence Makgopa in the Bafana Bafana setup, pointing to the superior form of Iqraam Rayners and Yanela Mbuthuma.
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos named his final squad for the upcoming back-to-back international friendly matches against Panama. The first match will be played at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday, while the second game is set for Cape Town Stadium four days later.
In his strikeforce, Broos has stuck with Pirates forward Makgopa and Burnley’s Lyle Foster. Both strikers scored at the 2025 AFCON finals, with the Buccaneers star grabbing just one goal while the English Premier League player found the back of the net twice.
Referencing statistics in all competitions this season, Vilakazi argues that Broos should have, instead, picked Mamelodi Sundowns striker Iqraaam Rayners and Yanela Mbuthuma of Pirates.
Rayners is chasing the Betway Premiership Golden Boot and is second on the scorers chart with 10 league goals.
‘SOME ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THERE’: VILAKAZI TAKES AIM AT MAKGOPA AND FOSTER
“According to the stats, some are not supposed to be there, but they are there. Some that are supposed to be there are not there,” Vilakazi said on Omniaudio Africa.
“Here is a good example. Lyle Foster played 1,163 [sic 1,397] minutes, and he scored three goals, one assist [three assists]. It’s the stats and not me. Then you go to ‘Ngwana Sesi’ [Makgopa], he has three [six] goals and three assists. Then you have Rayners, he has 11 [14] goals and two [three] assists.
“You have Mbuthuma, he has got five [seven] goals and one [three] assist. It’s the stats. So, Rayners and Mbuthuma, their stats are good. They should be in [the] Bafana Bafana [squad], but they are not there.
“Lyle Foster and ‘Ngwana Sesi’, their stats are not good, but they are in the Bafana Bafana squad.”
BROOS DEFENDS MAKGOPA & FOSTER SELECTION
As previously reported by FARPost, Broos has expressed his trust in the two strikers, saying their consistency has secured their places in the national team.
“You know we are talking about consistency, and for strikers, I like that. Lyle never disappointed me, I think in every game he played [at the 2025 AFCON] he scored,” Broos said.
“It is the same thing with Makgopa, even though he doesn’t play regularly at the moment for Pirates. Two years ago, everybody was asking, ‘Where were you taking Makgopa?’, but you saw what he did at the AFCON.
“The last AFCON, he scored against Cameroon. So he’s always there, he’s always the guy who works hard, and I will not drop him before I see someone who is much better than him.”
RELATED STORY: ‘I will not drop him’: Broos sets the record straight on Makgopa