Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos says he will not make many changes to his team that will take on Panama in the second international friendly showdown at Cape Town Stadium on Tuesday.
The Belgian has seven Mamelodi Sundowns players in his camp, including Ronwen Williams, Themba Zwane, Khuliso Mudau, Teboho Mokoena, Khulumani Ndamane, Aubrey Modiba and Jayden Adams. Six of them started when South Africa drew 1-1 with Panama in the first friendly match at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday.
Adams came on as a second-half substitute. Players from Sundowns reported for national team duty straight from punishing club responsibilities, where they are trying to balance attention between a challenging Betway Premiership title race and a demanding CAF Champions League campaign.
That has left the Brazilians’ coach, Miguel Cardoso, complaining about their crammed fixture schedule.
Fighting to go to the World Cup has piled more pressure on the men from Chloorkop in Broos’ camp. But the Belgian is not giving Sundowns players any special treatment to keep them fresh.
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“No, there will not be a lot of changes [against Panama], not at all. I know that Sundowns players have an overloaded programme also in the next weeks, but okay, this is not my problem,” said Broos.
“I have to prepare for a World Cup and I think when we have a disappointing World Cup, people will not say, ‘oh coach, it’s nothing, you saved the players from Sundowns, bla bla bla.’
“No, I think Sundowns have enough players. They have 35 players in the [squad], so they can certainly change [rotate players] here in the PSL.
“If Mokoena plays or Modiba plays or Mudau plays, even not play, they always win the games in the PSL, so I don’t see the problem for them.”
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