Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has cast doubt on Themba Zwane’s chances of making it to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, citing the player’s ongoing injury struggles.
Zwane, the 36-year-old captain, has been out of action in Bafana for almost a year after suffering an injury against Congo-Brazzaville in October 2024.
Although he recovered in April this year and played a few games for Mamelodi Sundowns, Zwane’s luck didn’t last long as he picked up another injury earlier this season.
“Themba is not playing now, and if he’s not playing in the next two weeks, then I think we have to forget him because he didn’t play for the whole season,” Broos said.
“I think it will be very difficult for him in the AFCON, but I still hope for next year, but we’ll see.”
Patrick Maswanganyi was seen as Zwane’s replacement, but the player suffered an injury for the September and October FIFA World Cup qualifiers this year, prompting Broos to call up Sipho Mbule, who played in all games in September and October.
Despite Zwane’s claims that he will be ready for the AFCON, Broos’ comments suggest that the midfielder’s chances of cutting are slim.
Zwane revealed on Monday during the CAF Champions League draw in Johannesburg that he is working hard to recover and hopes to feature in the tournament.
Meanwhile, Broos has spoken about why he included Thalente Mbatha and Mbule in the Bafana squad against Zambia despite their limited game time at Orlando Pirates.
“In the short term, it’s not a problem, but in the long term, it’s a problem,” Broos said.
“But I know because I met the coach of Pirates [Abdelsam Ouaddou], and he told me they have almost 35 players and said it’s easy to please everyone, and you have to change your team every week to keep everyone quiet.”
Broos added that he was impressed with Mbatha and Mbule’s performances in the game against Golden Arrows on Wednesday.
“For the moment, it’s not really a problem. But then, if that goes on, maybe I have to make another decision and call someone else because they don’t get enough game time.”
The Belgian coach emphasized that he understands the challenges faced by players at top clubs like Pirates, where rotation is necessary due to the large squad size.
“All these teams like Sundowns and also Chiefs, they have so many players, and you have to rotate them as a coach,” Broos stated.
“So, that means even players of the national team don’t play for weeks, and I can’t be angry about that because it’s a decision for the club and the coach, and you have to respect it.”
However, Broos warned that if Mbatha and Mbule continue to struggle for game time, he may be forced to consider other options.
“Then at the same time, we have to see if this doesn’t happen in two months or more, then it will be a problem. It was already in the past that I left players who didn’t get much game time with their teams.”
With Zwane’s fitness concerns and Mbatha and Mbule’s limited game time, the road to the AFCON is proving to be a challenging one for Bafana Bafana.
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