Kaizer Chiefs sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jnr has opened up about the inclusion of Amakhosi players in the Bafana Bafana preliminary squad ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in December.
Bafana coach Hugo Broos released a long list of a provisional squad this week and is expected to trim it to a final 23-man team that will represent South Africa in the tournament in Morocco.
Out of a total of 54 players, Amakhosi only have four who made the preliminary list: Brandon Petersen, Bradley Cross, Thabiso Monyane, and Mduduzi Shabalala.
Orlando Pirates are dominating the preliminary list with 12 players, while Mamelodi Sundowns have 10.
Motaung Jr, who was speaking to the media ahead of the departure of the DStv Diski Challenge team to the UK on Tuesday, said he is proud of the four players who made the preliminary squad but wants more Chiefs players to raise their hands.
Motaung Jr praises Hugo Broos
“I think if you ask anybody in the club, we want to have as many players on the national team as possible,” Motaung Jr said.
“We’re also very proud of the work that Hugo Broos has done—his formula has worked for him. He qualified for the Afcon and the World Cup. It is a massive task, and he has done an impressive job.
“From our perspective, the only action we can take is to ensure that the players concentrate on their league performance, as what they achieve at the club level translates to the national level.”
Motaung Jnr went on: “They’ve [Chiefs players] got to work; they’ve got to put their heads down and give the best for their club.
“We are proud that four players have been selected, but it’s a preliminary squad, and the coach has his plan for the tournament.
“We hope that we can get as many players as possible on that stage, representing the county at Afcon in the best way possible.”
