In his year-end review, Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos made a revealing statement about the team’s current level of performance.
- Broos evaluates his tenure in the Bafana
- Insinuates that he may not be looking for more players
- South Africa faces Liberia in March
WHAT HAPPENED? The The 2017 Africa Cup of Nations winning coach has announced that South Africa is not looking for new players, raising questions about the international futures of some of those talents who have not been involved in Bafana Bafana’s recent outings.
Broos, who has made no secret of his dissatisfaction with Premier Soccer League standards, overlooked some of the division’s biggest names for his team that will face Mozambique and Angola in recent friendlies.
If the Belgian only considers the players he has had in camp before, it may spell the end of some notable international careers.
WHAT HAS BEEN SAID: “So the first six months were not so positive, but from September and what happened after September, I think we are on the right track now, and certainly the important thing is that we have a group [of players] coming together and emerging,” Broos said, according to Times Live.
“This is something we didn’t have before. And with each camp, we changed players because we were looking for the best team.
“But in September and also in November, this is a group of players. It’s 25 players, and it’s important that we no longer have to search for players, but we can take what we need from the 25.” .”
AND WHAT IS MORE: The former Cameroon coach added that he will not stop attending PSL matches, although he will presumably focus on evaluating those players already in his plans, rather than considering newcomers.
“We will continue to watch the PSL matches. We will continue to look in Europe and see if we find a good player there or elsewhere. So, we continue our work; we are certainly not going to stop,” he continued.
“For me, the last year was especially to get to know the players. I spent a lot of time on it, maybe too much.”
“It is what it is and it was what it was. So now, I think we are where we need to be and certainly hopefully next year we can qualify for Afcon.”
THE BIGGEST PHOTOGRAPH: In their last squad, Kaizer Chiefs’ Keagan Dolly and Mamelodi Sundowns’ Andile Jali were high-profile PSL stars who weren’t called up.
Although Percy Tau returned to form, he was passed over by Broos and named a surprising force headlined by Fagrie Lakay, Bongokuhle Hlongwane, Themba Zwane, Zakhele Lepasa and Kgoagelo Sekgota.
Orlando Pirates’ Monnapule Saleng and Chiefs’ Yusuf Maart were rewarded with call-ups given their impressive Premier Soccer League performances thus far.
In light of Broos’s comments, should the likes of Dolly, Jali and even Tau be concerned about their international future?
WHAT NEXT FOR BROOS? Next up for the 70-year-old tactician is a two-headed Afcon qualifier against Liberia in March.
