Unless he can change his situation at Orlando Pirates and force himself back into the first team, Sipho Mbule can forget about going to the World Cup with Bafana Bafana.
Image: BackpagePix
Sipho Mbule’s prospects of being named in the Bafana Bafana squad for this year’s World Cup appear to be fading with each passing week.
In Themba Zwane’s absence, Mbule was trusted by Bafana coach Hugo Broos to be the midfield orchestrator at the Africa Cup of Nations – a role he had shown real promise in during the build-up to the tournament.
Because of his performances in World Cup qualifiers, where he produced several moments of individual brilliance, football fans across the country believed the 27-year-old was finally beginning to fulfil his potential.
That optimism, however, has not been matched by his club situation. To be selected for the World Cup, Mbule has to play regularly for Orlando Pirates. That has long been a non-negotiable for Broos, who has repeatedly insisted that consistent club football is a prerequisite for national-team selection. At the moment, that simply is not happening. Patrick Maswanganyi and Relebohile Mofokeng have been preferred by Abdeslam Ouaddou in the number 10 role behind the striker.
And by the looks of things, Mofokeng will continue to get opportunities in that position after impressing with a goal and an assist in Tuesday’s 2-0 win over AmaZulu.
“I’ve seen quickly that he’s somebody who can play in that position because of his awareness, because of his capacity to scan, because of his technical quality, he can turn quickly when he receives the ball,” Ouaddou was quoted as saying by iDiskiTimes.
Deeper in midfield, the situation offers little comfort for Mbule. Makhehlene Makhaula and Thalente Mbatha have been ever-present, while Masindi Nemtajela has also been trusted with minutes, further limiting Mbule’s path back into the side.
Since his last start for Pirates – a league clash against Chippa United at the end of November – Mbule has managed just 37 minutes of action. With the World Cup drawing closer, he is running out of time to force his way back into Broos’ thinking.
Unless that situation changes quickly, Mbule’s World Cup dream will remain exactly that – a career defined by flashes of brilliance rather than sustained influence. At 27, this should be the peak of his powers, not another chapter of what might have been. And international football, as Mbule is discovering, rarely waits for talent that cannot demand its place at club level.
IOL Sport
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