Ahead of friendlies against Eswatini and Ivory Coast, the coach of Bafana Bafana Hugo Broos gave some updates about the camping situation and the injury concerns the team is facing.
The tactician has been left frustrated after several members of the Bafana Bafana squad were rendered unavailable, either through injury or withdrawal.
He specifically complained about Percy Tau's withdrawal from the squad.
“I had contact with Percy last week when he called to say for family reasons, he would like not to be here with us. I understood it but on the other side, I am not amused that he played for Al Ahly.”
Four goals in two games for Percy Tau in the Egyptian Premier League. 🦁⭐️
Top form ahead of the international break with 🇿🇦 @BafanaBafana.
🦅♥️ #YallaYaAhly pic.twitter.com/NoTK5fqYAa
— Lorenz Köhler (@Lorenz_KO) October 8, 2023
Thapelo Maseko was another such player, who, after being declared unavailable for Bafana due to injury, came on as a substitute in the MTN8 final last Saturday.
What Hugo Broos said about the Maseko case
“Unfortunately this camp is again disturbed by injuries like last month. Maseko is something different. It's the second time that we have that surprise that the player is injured then suddenly he plays.”
Broos has been left questioning whether the injury status of players listed by clubs as unavailable is accurate information as he looks to prepare his side for the task ahead with the very best all available at his disposal.
To this effect, the Belgian has called for greater communication after seemingly unavailable players appeared for their clubs this past weekend.
He saw that improved communication between the clubs and the national team would be crucial for him to make the best of Bafana Bafana AFCON preparations.
To be fair, international coaches get precious little time to prepare with their squads ahead of major tournaments like the AFCON, which does not take place during the off-season.
After this window, Hugo Broos will have only two competitive matches before the African Cup of Nations, which is scheduled for January in Ivory Coast.
South Africa will find out their group opponents soon as the draw for the rescheduled 2023 AFCON will be held on October 12 in Abidjan.
This article was most recently revised and updated 3 weeks ago
