Young talent has emerged in what is arguably the Premier Soccer League’s (PSL) most exciting season, and national team coach Hugo Broos is impressed.
This season, players like Mohau Nkota, Malibongwe Khoza, Thabiso Sesane and Kutlwano Lethlaku have emerged as major players in the PSL.
The most recent young players are Mbekezeli Mbokazi, a powerfully built 19-year-old Orlando Pirates defender, and Samukelo Kabini and Khulumani Ndamane of TS Galaxy.
The three are also left centre-backs, a position that previously caused Broos concern in past camps when there were not enough left-footed centre-backs who raised their hands and performed well for their clubs.
Rushwin Dortley, who joined the Kaizer Chiefs this season, has recently taken that role, but he was unable to attend this camp because of an injury.
Ndamane, his first replacement, was left off the squad because he did not have a passport.
Nevertheless, Broos is pleased that there is a pool of rising talent in South Africa for some of the important roles.
Crucial World Cup qualifier against Lesotho
“When I announced the team, we needed to find younger players because little by little our team began to start being old.
“When you see the defenders, and that is all the defence, we only have players of 29, 30, and older. So that means that little by little we must start to get some younger players on our team.
“So, it makes me happy [to have these young players] because we’ve looked a long, long time to have left-footed central defenders; we always had [Mothobi] Mvala and [Grant] Kekana, all right-footed players playing there,” Broos said when asked about emerging left-footed centre-backs like Mbokazi, Dortley, and Ndamane.
He continued: “Recently we’ve had Dortley, and now he’s injured for the rest of the season— we have Ndamane; this one doesn’t have a passport; let’s hope next time we can have all those left-footed central defenders. It would help us also.”
Ndamane, who is said to have now acquired his passport, has since been replaced by Mamelodi Sundowns defender Grant Kekana.
Bafana are currently preparing for a crucial Fifa World Cup qualifier match against Lesotho. The match will take place at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Friday.
