The head coach of the South Africa national football team, Bafana Bafana, Hugo Broos, has finalized his selection of a 23-man squad for the upcoming international friendlies, notably omitting any players from Kaizer Chiefs.
A week earlier, Broos had initially announced a preliminary squad for the two friendly matches scheduled for September, featuring three players from Kaizer Chiefs: Given Msimango, Sfiso Hlanti, and Pule Mmodi.
However, on August 30, 2023, the Belgian coach revealed the trimmed-down roster of 23 players, conspicuously excluding any representatives from South Africa’s most accomplished football club.
In candid words, Broos expressed his assessment of the situation, stating, “Chiefs have to improve. I saw the game last Saturday, I was at the game of Chiefs [and] I’m very sorry but now for a moment there is no player (from Kaizer Chiefs) who deserves to be a Bafana Bafana player.”
AmaKhosi, as the team is affectionately known, boasts an impressive tally of 13 league titles and more than 22 club trophies – a record for South African clubs since the inception of the top-flight league in 1970.
However, Broos remains unfazed by Kaizer Chiefs’ illustrious history. He contends that the team’s recent performance has been lackluster and that they must strive for improvement rather than basking in past glory.
Broos articulated his perspective further, stating, “For the moment Kaizer Chiefs is still Kaizer Chiefs of last year. “They are still many points behind Sundowns and I said it already year – for any competition it’s important that the top teams are at the top of the ranking.”
Bafana Bafana is set to face Namibia and DR Congo in two international friendlies on September 9 and September 12, respectively. These matches, are to be held at the Orlando Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg.
They constitute a crucial part of their preparations for the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals set for January 2024 and the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers that come in November 2023.
