It doesn’t help to complain, it hasn’t changed anything before, and it certainly won’t change Hugo Broos’ mind about Kaizer Chiefs players and their absence from his Bafana Bafana squad.
It’s been nearly two years since the Belgian coach last included an Amakhosi player in his regular 23-man selection. When asked about it for the first time last year, Broos gave a blunt answer: “They do not play good football at the moment.”
At the time, Chiefs were battling for a top-eight finish while their rivals were chasing league titles and CAF Champions League football.
Should Chiefs players be in the current Bafana squad?
A year later, Amakhosi have improved and suddenly their supporters are calling for national team inclusion. The loudest calls have been for Mduduzi Shabalala, Mfundo Vilakazi, and Sibongiseni “Ox” Mthethwa.
Ironically, during the second half of last season, the same fans were demanding the selection of then in-form midfielder Thabo Cele, a player now struggling for minutes at Chiefs despite the team’s good form.
Broos, meanwhile, has found his winning formula and sees no reason to deviate from it. The spine of his team remains heavily reliant on Mamelodi Sundowns players who have been integral to his system for at least three years: Ronwen Williams, Khuliso Mudau, Aubrey Modiba, Teboho Mokoena, and Themba Zwane are the heartbeat of Bafana.
Pirates stars like Oswin Appollis, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Sipho Mbule, and Evidence Makgopa have also impressed Broos and earned their places as starters or impact players.
So, Chiefs supporters can’t realistically expect Mthethwa to replace established Bafana players such as Bathusi Aubaas, Siphephelo Sithole, or Thabang Mbatha in midfield. Nor will Shabalala start ahead of Mbule, Relebohile Mofokeng, or Zwane.
This is not the time to nurse egos or experiment. With the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) kicking off next month, Broos will stick with the core that delivered results.
Chiefs may be third on the log, but they failed to reach the Carling Knockout Cup final and are hardly convincing in cup competitions.
Broos is right to leave out Chiefs players in the Bafana squad
Right now, Orlando Pirates are playing the best football in the country, backed by experience in both the CAF Champions League and previous AFCON campaigns. Combined with Sundowns’ established chemistry, it’s no surprise that around 80% of Broos’ AFCON squad is expected to come from those two clubs.
For now, Chiefs fans should just sit and enjoy watching Bafana with or without their players. A good season for them could see Broos calling a number of their young players ahead of next year’s FIFA World Cup.