Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has shed light on his decision to start veteran midfielder Themba Zwane in the 1-1 international friendly draw against Panama on Friday night.
‘Mshishi’, as the Mamelodi Sundowns skipper is affectionately known, made his much-awaited return to the national team setup for the first time since October 2024.
Zwane’s absence from the national setup was fueled by a difficult recovery process. The 36-year-old spent four months on the sidelines after sustaining a serious Achilles tear while on international duty in October 2024, an injury that required corrective surgery.
Since returning to fitness, Zwane has been eased back into action at Sundowns. In the current campaign, he has made 16 appearances across all competitions for Masandawana, totaling 488 minutes of game time.
Despite his limited minutes at the club level, Broos opted to name Zwane in the starting line-up against Panama, as Bafana gear up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The World Cup is scheduled to be co-hosted by the USA, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19, 2026.
Zwane managed to last for 60 minutes in the game, as he was replaced by Orlando Pirates playmaker Relebohile Mofokeng.
‘I THINK EVERYONE SAW WHY I PUT HIM IN’: HUGO BROOS
Broos explained that while Zwane’s technical quality remains indispensable, his physical conditioning requires careful management.
“Talking about Themba, I think everyone saw why I put him in the team today [referring to Friday night]. Themba is such a good player. He made us play better football. But I also knew that he was not ready to play 90 minutes,” said Broos.
“We had to take caution and be careful with him and not overload him, because if we overload him, he might get injured. Therefore, that was the reason why he was taken out after 60 minutes.”
HUGO BROOS KEEN TO INCLUDE THEMBA ZWANE IN HIS WORLD CUP PLANS
The Belgian tactician hinted that Zwane remains an important figure in his plans for the World Cup, provided he remains injury-free.
“We will see next Tuesday how he recuperates. I wish he could play again because he needs that, and I hope so. But I can’t decide about that [getting more playing time at Sundowns]. However, he needs those minutes,” he added.
“You saw some moments in the game when he was a little bit slow, and this is the reason he doesn’t play more often. But if Themba stays like he is now [fit and injury-free], even if he is not ready for 90 minutes, he will be with us in the World Cup; that is for sure.”
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