The team has a goalkeeping conundrum with the inspirational Captain Ronwen Williams out due to an injury.

Al Ahly star, Percy Tau is also a surprise omission from the team that includes four new caps.

Williams has been a standout player for the national team in recent months. But the goalkeeper of the year has not featured in the two Sundown’s matches this season. The coach has not yet decided who will be the captain, but Broos is pretty sure who will be in goals for the two qualifiers.

“For 80% I know who will play but training is important and maybe you see that he is not really good in training.  But normally about keepers, the decision is normally made before,” says Broos.

Broos lamented the lack of fitness of players due to the delayed start to the Betway Premiership season.

Only a couple of teams have played official matches in the MTN 8 and CAF-Inter Club competitions thus far.

And the Belgian might be forced to make changes in certain positions.

“Maybe we will have to make some choices and take players who played more than others. It’s a problem, so it’s up to us to find the best solution.”

Bafana did well to finish third at the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Ivory Coast earlier this year. It was the first time they reached the semi-finals in 24 years.

They are in Group K for the 2025 AFCON qualifiers along with Uganda, South Sudan and Congo.

Broos says it’s important that they qualify for next year’s tournament in Morocco.

“There is so much quality in the team now we proved it at AFCON and also after Afcon we played against Nigeria and Algeria and it shows we have made so much progress and if we don’t qualify, it will mean all the good work done in the past two years will be lost.”

There are four new caps in the team in Sipho Chaine, Rushwin Dortley, who impressed in the recent COSAFA Cup, Fawaaz Basadien and Thalente Mbatha.

Bafana will meet Uganda at home on the 6th and South Sudan away on the 10th of next month.


--SABC--