Bafana Bafana head coach, Hugo Broos, has expressed his delight with the return of midfielder Sphephelo Sithole to the squad, ahead of the final two 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Rwanda.
Sithole’s last outing for the national team was in a 3-2 away win against South Sudan on 10 September last year, where he suffered a fracture to his tibia and fibula (broken leg).
The CD Tondela midfielder was integral to Bafana Bafana’s third-place finish at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in the Ivory Coast.
However, he is back in the side to boost the engine room ahead of the Zimbabwe match at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday [18:00] and Rwanda at Mbombela Stadium on Tuesday, where Bafana desperately needs six points and hopes other results go their way to book their spot in the FIFA World Cup finals next year.
“We are nearly again the team that won the bronze medal in AFCON, and after that, we have done very good results,” said Broos.
The Belgian tactician also mentioned how the return of familiar faces to the setup is impacting his side.
“We’ve got a nice injection of confidence with the return of those players, that’s for sure,” added Broos, alluding to the return of Sithole and Makgopa, albeit as a replacement for the injured Iqraam Rayners.
“But Yaya (Sithole) again, let’s hope that he is again at the level he was one year ago,” added Broos.
The Belgians and South Africans alike will be hoping Sithole can return to his best and further Bafana Bafana’s pursuit of securing a spot at the 2026 World Cup.
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!