Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has expressed concern about some of his players struggling for regular minutes at their clubs, warning that inactivity could cost them a spot in South Africa’s squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Broos recently unveiled his team for the friendly against Zambia in Gqeberha, but several selections including Nkosinathi Sibisi, Bathusi Aubaas, Thalente Mbatha, and Sipho Mbule have barely featured for their clubs in recent weeks.
“In the short term it is not a problem, but it could be a problem in the long term, and that is true,” Broos said.
He revealed that Orlando Pirates, for instance, have around 35 players in their squad, forcing the technical team to rotate frequently.
“I know because I had a meeting with the coach of Pirates [Abdeslam Ouaddou], and I asked him questions. He has about 35 players, and it is not easy to please everyone; you have to change your team nearly every week to keep everyone happy, and that’s what he is doing,” Broos explained.
The Belgian tactician acknowledged being pleased with some players’ recent performances but stressed the challenge of inconsistent playing time due to squad rotations at big clubs such as Mamelodi Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs.
“Those teams, such as Sundowns and, to a lesser extent, Chiefs, have a lot of players, and what are you doing when you are a coach with that many players? You have to rotate, and that means national team players are not playing,” he noted.
