Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has explained why he has left some regular faces from Mamelodi Sundowns out of the national team selected to play Lesotho and Nigeria in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in September.
Broos left out Sundowns players who usually dominate the team in the last camp of international friendlies against Tanzania and Mozambique in June because they were involved in the FIFA Club World Cup.
There were some expectations that faces like Jaden Adams, Fawaaz Basadien, Thapelo Morena and Grant Kekana would be in the team that could secure qualification for the global showpiece in Bloemfontein.
Broos explained that Kekana is out because of injury, while Morena just came back from an injury, however he believes Adams and Basadien aren’t currently at the level he needs players to be ahead of important games.
“Kekana is injured, so he was not ready to be with us,” said Broos on SABC 1.
“Jaden, I think we talked about him for the moment he’s not that level we want from him.
“Fawaaz same thing and Thapelo is coming out of injury. His first game he played now with Sundowns yesterday, before he was again injured on the hamstring I think. So I think Morena is for the moment not ready to play those games.
“I think people don’t have to underestimate those games. And I said it also before this is a higher level, even if you play against Lesotho, you can’t compare it with the PSL.
“We have to be careful with that, that we don’t take a player who is not ready. So therefore, for example [Kamogelo] Sebelebele is in fantastic form. So if we doubt between Thapelo and him the choice is very easy to make, because Sebelebele is ready.
“Also with the qualities he [Zuko Mdunyelwa] has he’s quick, he works hard, he scores why should not doubt about him”.
The coach added that game-time at the players’ clubs matters for him, hence he wouldn’t call-up right-back Khuliso Mudau who hasn’t featured for Sundowns so far this season even if he played for the club over the weekend.
“I told you already before also that the most important thing for a player is to play, have the rhythm of the game,” added the Belgian mentor.
“If you are not playing for four or five weeks, even if Khuliso should play next Saturday with Sundowns he’s not ready to play. That makes also our choices to drop a player because he’s not playing enough.”
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