Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has explained why he called up Orlando Pirates midfielder Sipho Mbule to the squad against Lesotho and Nigeria in the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Mbule who was in the preliminary squad for this camp was called as a replacement of his club teammate Patrick ‘Tito’ Maswanganyi who picked a knock in Pirates league win over Chippa United on Sunday.
The coach explained that in the absence of injured Themba Zwane he had struggled to find a replacement and Tito became an option until his injury.
Meanwhile the last time the Master Chef was with the national team was in September 2021 during the World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe. He has since made the preliminary squad on two occasions in October last year and last week before Tito’s injury. With Zwane and Maswanganyi out Broos believes Mbule is the right man for the position and has the qualities to deliver.
“Why Sipho Mbule,” said Broos to the media in Dobsonville on Monday.
“I think everybody agrees that he’s a player with much qualities and I have to agree also that the past years, we didn’t really see what we expected from a player like that.
“But he’s an experienced player and one of those players who can play in that position.
“You know already for more than a year, we look for a replacement of Themba [Zwane]. We had Tito, but now Tito is also injured, so it was very difficult to find someone with those qualities. And I think with Mbule we have the right player on the right position.
“But I have to tell you also that when he comes and he will be in training, I think that I will have a little chat with him and I exactly will tell him what we expect from him.”
Bafana face Lesotho on Friday in Bloemfontein before hosting the Super Falcons next Tuesday in the same city.
