Broos faces tough calls as injuries and club form threaten key players’ AFCON hopes

Hugo Broos is a players’ coach. As such, he’s made it clear that he wants to reward the core group that qualified for the upcoming AFCON finals next month in Morocco by retaining them in the final squad.

While he’s already shown glimpses of being a man of his word, emphasising that the players he’s called up for the friendly against Zambia in Gqeberha on Saturday will make up the bulk of his final squad, there have been some major concerns.

Three players, whom we look at below, haven’t been part of the national team setup in the last two camps, putting their chances of going to Morocco in serious jeopardy if their respective situations at club level don’t change.

Themba Zwane – Mamelodi Sundowns

Zwane has been one of the most consistent players in the top flight in recent seasons. But since rupturing his Achilles tendon on international duty late last year, he has not been the same. He’s been in and out of the medical room.

The talented midfielder, known for his skillset and quick feet, is currently on the road to recovery, but the chances of him getting game time between now and when Bafana assemble for the AFCON camp are slim to none.

Zwane has said he’ll be fit by AFCON, but Broos, who believes he made the right decision in the past to include him from the national team, is not convinced, suggesting he may instead be targeting Zwane for the Fifa World Cup next year.

Iqraam Rayners – Mamelodi Sundowns

Rayners is currently joint-second on the top scorers’ list in the league with six goals, making a strong case for inclusion in Bafana’s final AFCON squad.

But that’s easier said than done. Rayners was withdrawn from the last camp due to injury and spent some time on the sidelines at his club, Sundowns, while his then-backup, Peter Shalulile, shone in his absence.

Shalulile has since overtaken Rayners in the pecking order. Should that continue even after the Fifa break, Broos could be forced to make a tough call and leave Rayners out of the AFCON squad, especially if Lyle Foster and Evidence Makgopa continue to find the net regularly for their clubs.

Siyabonga Ngezana – FC Steaua București

Ngezana hasn’t featured in Bafana’s recent camps, which appears to stem from his struggles at his Romanian club, FCSB.

His club president, Gigi Becali, has been quoted in various publications expressing dissatisfaction with Ngezana’s discipline, after the defender allegedly left camp to meet a friend, CFR Cluj player Damjan Djokovic.

And that’s not all. Reports have also emerged that Becali questioned Ngezana’s commitment to the team after he refused to invite his family to Romania. If his focus both on and off the field continues to waver, Ngezana could very well kiss his chances of playing in his first-ever AFCON goodbye.