Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos could grow more grey hair when he announces his final squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers this afternoon.
Bafana are set to face Congo Brazzaville in back-to-back matches, starting with a clash at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha next Friday (7pm kick-off).
Soon thereafter, Bafana will visit Congo at the Alphonse Massamba-Debat Stadium on October 15 (6pm).
Broos’ men are second in Group K, having had a decent start in the qualifiers, drawing 2-2 with Uganda at home before beating South Sudan 3-2 away from home.
Broos’ character is set to be tested this afternoon, though, when he trims his preliminary squad to the final 23 as some of his regulars haven’t been getting a lot of game time at their respective clubs.
Teboho Mokoena hasn’t featured for Mamelodi Sundowns since their 1-0 loss to Stellenbosch FC in the second leg of the MTN8 semi-final on September 1.
The 2025 AFCON Qualifier between Bafana Bafana and Congo will be played in Gqeberha on Friday 11 October 2024 at 19h00.@10bet_ZA @CastleLagerSA @SAFA_net @10betSports @flysaa pic.twitter.com/XAP6Z08B2H
The 27-year-old has reportedly fallen out of favour with coach Manqoba Mngqithi, who allegedly believes that he hasn’t been pulling his weight for the team since the start of the season.
Mokoena hasn’t been the only Sundowns’ player that was dropped by Mngqithi, who seems hellbent on stamping his authority on players who aren’t doing enough to command a starting berth.
Right back Khuliso Mudau had also lost his place before he regained his spot in the 2-1 win over Kaizer Chiefs in the Premiership last weekend.
Mngqithi has also used captain Themba Zwane sparingly, much to the surprise of Broos, who believes that the 34-year-old is supposed to be starter week in and week out.
And that’s not all. The silver-haired Belgian must put his head on the block and trim his goalkeepers to just three from the initial four.
Captain and No 1 Ronwen Williams is back in the fold, having missed out on the last two qualifiers due to an injury he sustained on national duty.
So, with Williams expected to return between the sticks against Congo, Broos must either drop Veli Mothwa, Ricardo Goss or Sipho Chaine.
AmaZulu club captain Mothwa is expected to be the sacrificial lamb, given his blunder in the 2-2 draw with the Cranes and the 2-1 loss to Polokwane City in the league.
Sure, Broos has repaid the loyalty of his players in the past, but there’s probably no time better than to rest Mothwa, sparing him from all the criticism he might get.
Vice-captain Percy Tau is largely expected to also be dropped by Broos – he hasn’t been getting regular game time at Egyptian giants Al Ahly.
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos announces his preliminary squad for the Congo AFCON qualifier matches.....@CastleLagerSA @10bet_ZA @flysaa pic.twitter.com/5trrE60fNL
Tau played in the CAF Super Cup against arch-rivals Zamalek last weekend, after back-to-back starts in the Champions League against Gor Mahia in the last round of the group stage qualifiers.
But while he might have scored in the first leg, it seems the 30-year-old has fallen out of favour with coach Marcel Koller, who sparingly used him towards the end of the domestic season.
And given how well the likes of Relebohile Mofokeng, Patrick Maswanganyi and Oswin Appollis have done for their respective clubs, Broos is expected to retain them up front.
Mofokeng and Maswanganyi have played instrumental roles in helping Orlando Pirates reach the Champions League group stage and MTN8 final.
Appollis has been a breath of fresh air for Polokwane City, starting the season like a house on fire as he’s since guided his side to an unbeaten start in the Premiership.
Perhaps the biggest omission in Broos’ preliminary squad is Pirates attacker Monnapule Saleng, who’s rediscovering his form after scoring in three consecutive games for the side.