Johannesburg – The time to rebuild Bafana Bafana is now and unfortunately has to happen as South Africa braces itself to face neighbours Zimbabwe and west Africa’s Ghana in the crucial back-to back Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers, on Friday and next Monday.
This is the bold sentiment of Belgian Bafana coach Hugo Broos when justifying his selection of a relatively young and inexperienced squad to fight for one of the five berths allotted to Africa at the world football spectacle.
“If we don’t do it now, then we’ll never get the opportunity to start building a winning Bafana team. We’ll be fighting to qualify for the World Cup, I want to be at the World Cup but the reality of the situation is that the qualifiers start when we are in a rebuilding process,” said Broos.
From the old guard, Broos roped in pacey forward Percy Tau as the only more experienced player, something the 69-year-old mentor has come under fire for.
Criticism has come with the omission of 2020/21 PSL Player of the Season, Mamelodi Sundowns midfield star Themba Zwane and Kaizer Chiefs centre-back Njabulo Ngcobo, the winner of the PSL Defender of the Season while at Swallows. On the inclusion of the inactive Tau, who on Thursday was unveiled as Egyptian powerhouse Al Ahly’s player, reuniting him with his former mentor Pitso Mosimane, Broos said he just could not do without the “Lion of Judah”.
“He’s an important player for Bafana Bafana. If Percy will not play in the next month, I have a problem. But I heard some good news, I think he will not stay at Brighton, and will go to an Egyptian team with SA coach Pitso Mosimane, Al Ahly,” the whitehead tactician, who seemed to have been monitoring Tau’s move, said.
On Ngcobo, he said: “Yes, but that will not say he will not be there the next time. I had 31 players [before trimming to 23] and I had to choose [who to leave out]. “Sometimes you will make a choice that is tactical, sometimes it’s because you need a certain type of defender.
That’s what happened with Ngcobo. I know he’s a good defender and he will get a chance in the coming months.
“Maybe after Ghana I will say to myself, ‘maybe this one or this one I shouldn’t have selected’. This is not the final choice, certainly not.”
Across the Limpopo, the Warriors are not taking any chances, leading their attack will be Tino Kadewere of Lyon and Chiefs forward Khama Billiat. Ghana’s The Black Stars have a strong side, led by the likes of England-based striker Jordan Ayew.
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