Former Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Brian Baloyi has urged Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos to recall Mamelodi Sundowns star Themba Zwane.
The 36-year-old midfielder hasn’t featured for the national team since 2024. He suffered an injury while playing for Bafana Bafana during the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
He returned to action earlier this season, only to get injured in the first match. The veteran midfielder is training with Mamelodi Sundowns and should be fit later this month when his team play in the CAF Champions League and the Betway Premiership.
The Sundowns captain played a huge role in 2024 when Bafana reached the AFCON semi-final. His absence was felt at the 2025 edition as Broos‘ charges were eliminated in the round of 16.
Baloyi feels Zwane is still the man to play the number 10 position for Bafana.
“The system that we are playing now, you can afford to play it when you have a Zwane, where you have a number 10, but in the absence of such a brilliant player, brilliant mind, then you need two players like ‘master chef’, instead of having two or three defensive midfielders,” Baloyi said on SoccerBeat.
“You know that the players are trying to give you that creativity and the goals you lack, so you need two of those or even three on the pitch. I think that’s where we need to fix things, if we are not to take him to the World Cup again.”
Baloyi feels Bafana missed Sundowns captain
With just six months left until the FIFA World Cup, Baloyi wants Mshishi to be part of the squad to play in Mexico/Canada and USA.
“I think there’s still an opportunity for the coach to relook at his team, and possibly take Themba to the World Cup. If you look at all other nations, we have 42-year-olds playing, you can’t tell us Themba is too old,” he added.