COACH of Bafana Bafana, Hugo Broos, praised Sipho Mbule of Orlando Pirates for carrying the national team in key matches in the absence of Themba “Mshishi” Zwane of Mamelodi Sundowns who was suffering from an injury.
Broos spoke yesterday, in Johannesburg, about this Pirates player who has just returned from injury when he announced the squad of 23 players who will compete in two matches against Panama in late March.
Bafana will face Panama on March 27 at Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban. After that, they will compete on March 31 at DHL Stadium, Cape Town.
Broos brought Zwane back to Bafana, leaving Mbule who has not played for Zimnyama in recent games. Sundowns striker, Iqraam Rayners and Pirates goalkeeper, Sipho Chaine, who lead the way in denying goals in the Betway Premiership this season, are left out.
“I have never underestimated Mbule’s strength because he helped us a lot in key games when Zwane was still injured,” said Broos at SABC.
“Zwane is the type of player that is not easy to replace but I admire Mbule and he was there for us when we needed him in Bafana. Recently, he has not been playing for Pirates which is the reason why he is not in this squad but he is one of the players that will always be in my heart because the truth is that all the others we have tried to fill Zwane’s place with have left us not fully satisfied.”
Instead of Chaine, Broos called Renaldo Leaner of Sekhukhune United and described him as a goalkeeper who has never left his eyes.
For strikers, the Belgian coach who did not go public about his reason for leaving Rayners, continued with Evidence Makgopa of Pirates and Lyle Foster of Burnley in England.
While Broos was speaking, he kept repeating that his aim for this camp is for all the players to understand that none of them will go to the World Cup just because of his name.
“On the second day of the camp (Tuesday), I will have a meeting with the players where I will remind them all that my calling them to this squad does not mean that I will go with them to the World Cup,” he said.
“I don’t mean that players like Chaine have lowered the standard, but this is a message to all players that they will not get a place in the World Cup squad if they do not continue to impress me with what they did in their teams,” said Broos.
Others who returned to Bafana are Bongokuhle Hlongwane, Thapelo Maseko, Jayden Adams and Ime Okon.
The entire Bafana Bafana squad that will face Panama is as follows:
Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns), Ricardo Goss (Siwelele FC) and Renaldo Leaner (Sekhukhune United).
Subs: Khuliso Mudau (Mamelodi Sundowns), Thabang Matuludi (Polokwane City), Nkosinathi Sibisi (Orlando Pirates), Aubrey Modiba and Khulumani Ndamane (Mamelodi Sundowns), Ime Okon (Hannover 96), Samkelo Kabini (Molde FK) and Mborekazi (MChikezeli).
Midfielders: Teboho Mokoena and Jayden Adams (Mamelodi Sundowns), Thalente Mbatha (Orlando Pirates) and Siphefelo Sithole (CD Tondela.
The winners are Oswin Appollis, Tsepang Moremi, Evidence Makgopa, Lyle Foster, Minnesota United, Themba Zwane and Thapelo Maseko.