Kaizer Chiefs players have not impressed Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos in recent years, and for the second consecutive time, it appears that none of their players will make it to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
During the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, only Mduduzi Shabalala and Thabiso Monyane were called up to the national team.
Broos has repeatedly explained why he has omitted players from Kaizer Chiefs. Most of his squad consists of players from Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, who have been consistently performing well for the past three years.
Although Chiefs have shown significant improvement this season, thanks to new signings and the assistance of Nasreddine Nabi’s team, they faced challenges in the recent CAF Confederation Cup.
Chiefs players unlikely to play at AFCON
Having won the Nedbank Cup, Amakhosi automatically qualified for this tournament. Their main challenge was to defeat the Egyptian side Al Masry.
Despite putting up a commendable performance, the Soweto giants lost 2-1.
This opening loss highlighted their inexperience at the highest level and showcased poor defending, particularly in the final minutes of the match.
Mfundo Vilakazi and Shabalala were identified as key players, but they struggled to pose a threat to the Egyptian defence.
New signing Flavio Silva did bring some energy to Kaizer Chiefs’ attack in the second half.
Hugo Broos is likely evaluating the CAF games in preparation for AFCON, and if this is the best that Kaizer Chiefs can offer, it is unlikely that any of their players will be included in the tournament squad.
Both Vilakazi and Shabalala struggled against a mid-table Egyptian team, which raises concerns about their capability to perform against stronger teams like Egypt in the AFCON, should they be selected for Bafana Bafana.