Bafana Bafana’s ever-changing squad means the door is always open, even for forgotten overseas-based players.
From the team that played Morocco in the first 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifier and the one that did duty for SA against Liberia in recent back-to-back matches, it is crystal clear there are very few players who are guaranteed a place in head coach Hugo Broos’s team.
Only skipper Ronwen Williams, fellow goalkeeper Veli Mothwa, defenders Sydney Mobbie, Innocent Maela, and Grant Kekana, along with midfielders Sphephelo Sithole and strikers Percy Tau, Lyle Foster, and Bongokuhle Hlongwane, made the cut for both squads. This means in a squad of about 23 players, only nine players were selected in both squads for the three matches, while there were as many as 14 changes.
There are less than 300 days before Ivory Coast hosts the Afcon from January 13 – February 11, 2024, and with Bafana due to play the last qualifier in June against Morocco at home, which is a dead rubber as both countries have already qualified, Broos is likely to use the opportunity to cast the net wide.
In France, striker Lebogang Mothiba has recovered from an injury and is raising his hand. The 27-year-old was on the score sheet for RC Strasbourg on his return against one of the top sides, Monaco. He has three goals in 17 appearances, with over 90% of those games coming in as a substitute. Nonetheless, Mothiba’s Bafana Bafana statistics don’t make for bad reading, with four goals in 14 appearances, and Broos may be keen to take a closer look at the forward.
Meanwhile, over in Denmark, winger Gift Links recently played in his 100th match for AGF Aarhus, and the 24-year-old would be encouraged he’s finding his feet again. The former Cape Town City man has five Bafana appearances to his name, but the last time he donned the national colours was in September 2021. Broos was in his early days at the time, but Links has not been called up in over 15 matches, excluding the Cosafa Cup and Chan. Broos has also mentioned that the likes of Portugal-based Kobamelo Kodisang and Nkanyiso Shinga are in the picture.
However, the challenge for the players abroad is that Broos is seemingly focused on the local scene.
There were only eight overseas-based players in the squad that faced Liberia, and the numbers were even lower (six) in the first match against Morocco. This is a clear indication Broos could be thinking that “local is lekker” as he puts together a team for the Afcon.
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