Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has insisted the door is still open for Lyle Lakay and Rivaldo Coetzee to be selected for the national team.
Despite being consistent performers for Mamelodi Sundowns this season, both players were omitted from the national team fold ahead of the crucial back-to-back 2022 Qatar Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Ethiopia on October 9 away and 11 at FNB Stadium.
Lakay has starred in all seven matches for Sundowns this campaign, while Coetzee has also been outstanding, winning three man-of-the match awards, but Broos opted for Kaizer Chiefs’ Sfiso Hlanti in the left-back position.
“I can only select 23 players and I know that those players are good at the moment but it is not the right moment to select them,” Broos told SABC Sport yesterday after announcing his 23-man squad.
“It is not that if you are not here today, you won’t be here tomorrow. If they can go on like this and play at the level they are at now maybe they will be selected for the games against Ghana and Zimbabwe.
“It is not because your name is Mr This and you are a Bafana player; this doesn’t work with me. I tried to select the strongest team possible and some players are not there and it doesn’t mean they won’t be called up any more.
“I don’t give presents, I’m sorry. You have to do something for it and it can be one month, two months or three months. It is possible.”
The Belgian mentor also expressed his anger at being refused entry to the Orlando Stadium to watch a game between Orlando Pirates and Sundowns on Saturday.
“I have to mention I am also upset. We would have liked to see the game between Pirates and Sundowns but they did not let us go in the stadium,” he said.
“We couldn’t enter at 3pm and we had accreditation. I am trying to understand. These are coaches of the national team and they [Pirates] won’t allow us into the stadium to see a game of their team.
“Most surprising is that the chairman of the team [Irvin Khoza] is the vice-president of Safa. My assistant was there. I couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t enter the stadium even though he had the accreditation of the league. It is unacceptable.”
Bafana squad:
Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams (SuperSport), Veli Mothwa (AmaZulu), Bruce Bvuma (Chiefs)
Defenders: Nyiko Mobbie (Sekhukhune), Njabulo Blom (Chiefs), Terrence Mashego (Cape Town City), Sifiso Hlanti (Chiefs), Rushine de Reuck (Sundowns), Siyanda Xulu (Hapoel Tel Aviv), Njabulo Ngcobo (Chiefs), Mosa Lebusa (Sundowns).
Midfielders: Thabani Zuke (Arrows), Mothobi Mvala (Sundowns), Yusuf Maart (Sekhukhune), Teboho Mokoena (SuperSport), Goodman Mosele (Pirates), Ethan Brooks (Galaxy)
Forwards: Thabiso Kutumela (Sundowns), Bongokuhle Hlongwane (Maritzburg), Evidence Makgopa (Baroka), Victor Letsoalo (Royal), Vincent Pule (Pirates), Tshegofatso Mabasa (Pirates)
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