Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos says he can’t ask Khuliso Mudau and any other player to start being wary of the flailing arm incident that led to a questionable penalty against Egypt.
Broos feels the rules need to be re-looked into as Mudau, in his opinion, did not show any intent to hurt or strike Salah, but was rather an attempt to protect the ball while in possession.
The Egypt superstar fell down inside the area, theatrically and eventually stepped up to score the resulting penalty, which proved the difference in the 1-0 victory and qualification to the last-16 of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Ahead of the Group B finale, Broos says he can’t expect players to now be wary and playing within themselves, afraid of conceding a penalty and no longer play their natural game.
“It was not the intention of Khuliso to slam Salah, he just wanted to protect the ball, it’s something you need to take into account when you look at the pictures, he was not really doing this [hitting him], he wanted to protect possession, if you touch the player, there’s a difference between hitting,” Broos said.
“That’s why I say there are too many rules now… when something happened, is it this or that? Is the sun shining or the rain falling – or whatever, it’s not true. The evidence of things is lost now and it’s a pity, why did they give a yellow card and penalty?
“For them it was hitting the player and that’s not true and Salah, when I said what is this? In Premier League, they kill you every week and now you’re [on the floor here], he said okay he touched me, but I was so surprised it was a penalty.
“They need to see what the intention of the player in VAR, when there’s someone one vs one alone with the keeper and you kick from behind, there’s no question, red, go home, you don’t do that.
“But not something like, it’s frustrating when you see that… you can tell players to take attention to it, but then they not free to play anymore… if the player needs to think I need to keep my arms like this, come on, it’s not football!
“They have to look for the difference in what is really happening and not always to facts that it was a touch in the face, that’s why I say there’s too many rules, but I can’t ask the players to take attention… you can only say don’t extend your arms in the area. For the rest, it’s part of the game, there emotions and Khuliso again, didn’t want to hit Salah, he just touched him.”
South Africa take on Zimbabwe with a winner takes all fixture at Le Stade de Marrakech on Monday afternoon (18h00).
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