Hugo Broos, the coach of Bafana Bafana, has taken aim at Rulani Mokwena, the coach of Mamelodi Sundowns, regarding the availability of certain players who are expected to report to the SA camp in Algeria.
The Bafana team and technical team arrived in Algeria for the Fifa Series on Monday. They will play friendly matches against Algeria and Andorra this week and next Tuesday.
Some Sundowns players, including Ronwen Williams and Teboho Mokoena, were not fully fit, as Mokwena hinted after their 2-0 victory over Maritzburg United on Sunday.
This has left Broos concerned. Williams and Mokoena are expected to arrive in the north African country tonight.
We support the national team agenda
“Ronza [Williams] is struggling with his shoulder, and we have a very difficult Champions League game,” Mokoena told journalists after the match on Sunday.
“Teboho has been struggling with his knee since Afcon [Africa Cup of Nations]. Ronza also had a shoulder problem since Afcon.
“They were rested because they’ve got niggling injuries, and that’s really the truth. Are the injuries serious enough to keep them away from Bafana? I don’t know.
“As a club, we’ve always supported the national team agenda, and we will continue to do that.”
Upon arrival in Algeria, an angry Broos said: “If the players are really injured, they [Sundowns] have to inform us. We have a doctor.
“They know we have a doctor; they have the phone number of the doctor, so why don’t they call us and give us a medical report?
“They didn’t do it, so that means the players are fit. I’m very sorry, I can’t go on rumours of coach Rulani saying the players are injured; give me a medical report.
“I’m very sorry, but I don’t like it when they go and tell the press — they have to call us and tell us [what is] the problem.”
Terrible 30-hour journey
Broos also bemoaned the terrible travel experience they had.
“We travelled for about 30 hours; we had three different flights and lots of waiting hours at the airport,” he said.
“We are just waiting for the Sundowns and SuperSport United players who played on Sunday. They will travel the same way we did, and we expect them to arrive tonight.
“We are playing a game on Thursday, and that could be problematic for the players. I am not pleased about that, but I cannot go into details. Travelling in Africa can be very exhausting.”
