And if you go even further, you will remember that the likes of captain Ronwen Williams and stalwart midfielders Teboho Mokoena and Aubrey Modiba became household names at SuperSport United before joining Sundowns.

And just on Tuesday, Modiba was replaced – as he is expecting the birth of his child – by another newcomer in Sekhukhune United left back Vuyo Letlapa.

Pirates defender Nkosinathi Sibisi is another one in a similar boat, having featured for Golden Arrows for seven years before joining the Buccaneers.

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Perhaps it is also that hunger that was cultivated at their former clubs that has driven these players to the top for club and country, as they had to work extra hard to join the likes of Sundowns and Pirates.

It is disappointing that there isn’t a single Kaizer Chiefs player in the current Bafana group due to defender Rushwin Dortley’s knee injury, which required an operation and will keep him out for several months.

Some Amakhosi fans wanted in-form goalkeeper Bruce Bvuma included ahead of SuperSport United’s Ricardo Goss, but their lack of Bafana players is a reflection on Chiefs’ current struggles too.

But Broos is not shy to unearth these ‘hidden gems’, and that kind of approach has worked wonders for Bafana in recent years.

Let’s hope that it culminates in the treasure chest of qualification for the 2026 Fifa World Cup.

* Ashfak Mohamed is the deputy sports editor at Independent Media.

Bafana Bafana Squad

Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams (Sundowns), Ricardo Goss (SuperSport), Sipho Chaine (Pirates)

Defenders: Sydney Mobbie (SuperSport), Thabo Moloisane (Stellenbosch), Nkosinathi Sibisi (Pirates), Vuyo Letlapa (Sekhukhune), Siyabonga Ngezana (FCSB), Khuliso Mudau (Sundowns), Fawaaz Basadien (Stellenbosch), Grant Kek

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