How Bafana coach Broos convinced Khuliso Mudau to return to Sundowns training

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has disclosed he played a role in convincing defender Khuliso Mudau to return to training at Chloorkop. 

Mamelodi Sundowns and Mudau had a contractual dispute before the start of the season which saw him absconding from training for weeks as they prepared for the campaign. 

Because of his stand-off with the club, Mudau and Brazilian Lucas Ribeiro were frozen out in three MTN8 matches where they lost to Orlando Pirates in the semifinal and four Betway Premiership matches. 

Despite lack of action, Broos included Mudau in his preliminary squad for Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and arch-rivals Nigeria in Bloemfontein next week. 

On Thursday Broos omitted Mudau from the final squad for the two important matches and said he had a meeting with the player and advised him to return to training. 

“I made contact with Mamelodi Sundowns to find out what the situation was and I asked the club if I could help to solve the problem,” said Broos. 

“I got the permission of the Sundowns coach [Miguel Cardoso] to have a meeting with Khuliso. I had that meeting with Khuliso and I told him he was right on some issues and wrong on others such as not going to training.  

“We don’t solve a problem by not going to training, even if there is a disagreement between you and the club. This is an obligation of a player; if you are not playing it’s something else.  

“You can say I am not playing because there is a problem but you have to go to training.” 

Mudau has since returned to training and he should be available for selection when Sundowns visit Stellenbosch FC at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town in the league. 

“I think Khuliso is training again and I hope the problem will be solved because he is the best right back in the country and one of the best in Africa. It is difficult for me because I can’t have him in the team but it is the duty of the Bafana Bafana coach to help solve the problem.”