Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has explained why he picked Orlando Pirates duo Zakhele Lepasa and Evidence Makgopa as his main striker options for the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Belgian tactician has had to deal with a few setbacks after Lebo Mothiba and Lyle Foster were unavailable for his final selection, while he opted to go without Fagrie Lakay.
With the other forwards in his final 23-man squad predominantly playing on the wings, one of Lepasa and Makgopa will likely start as Broos’ number nine – and the coach has expressed his confidence in the Pirates duo.
“First of all, I think Lepasa showed it already in the national team that he’s so bad as a striker. He scored regularly,” he told journalists.
“Makgopa was a striker [with us] in the beginning when I was coaching Bafana Bafana, and he did well, too. He’s playing now again with Pirates, he’s scoring also, he has confidence.
“Those are the two that I have to choose because Foster and Mothiba are not there. I have confidence in those guys.
“When you say they are not really the same type, ok give me a South African player who is the same type as Mothiba – I don’t think you can give it.
“It’s a choice again and those guys were with us before, they have quality and I think it’s normal that we choose them to go with us to AFCON – certainly because Mothiba and Foster are not there.”
Bafana start their AFCON campaign against Mali on 16 January before Namibia and Tunisia in the group stages.
