I don’t see the sense of it: Bafana coach Broos still flummoxed by Carling Cup

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos is crossing fingers that none of the players in his 23-man squad are injured in the Premier Soccer League’s (PSL) Carling Black Label Cup on Saturday.

Kaizer Chiefs meet Orlando Pirates in the second semifinal of the single-day friendly tournament, while AmaZulu meet Mamelodi Sundowns in the early game. The final of the gruelling FNB Stadium schedule takes place in the afternoon.

Already Broos has had to leave out a number of players for friendlies against Mozambique on November 17 and Angola on November 20, both at Mbombela Stadium, because of injuries and lack of game time at their clubs.

These include Al Ahly's Percy Tau; Bongokuhle Hlongwane of Minnesota FC; the Orlando Pirates trio of Nkosinathi Sibisi, Innocent Maela and Evidence Makgopa; and Lebo Mothiba of Strasbourg in Ligue 1.  

Thirteen Bafana players play for the clubs involved in the Carling Black Label Cup.

Among them are AmaZulu goalkeeper Veli Mothwa and Sundowns' Themba Zwane, Tebogo Mokoena, Grant Kekana, Aubrey Modiba, Thapelo Morena, Rushine de Reuck and Ronwen Williams. Njabulo Blom and Kgaogelo Sekgota play for Chiefs and Monnapule Saleng, Miguel Timm and Zakhele Lepasa for Pirates.

Announcing his squad in Johannesburg on Tuesday, Broos said  he would have preferred to see the cup played towards the end of December, before the PSL season resumes from the two-month Fifa domestic break for the 2022 World Cup.

“I don’t see the sense of it. It’s [about] money. I would have been happier if that tournament was played just before the restart of the league.

“And I hear people [supporters] can change [vote for] the teams, but what is that? OK, it’s publicity and I understand that, but why do it now?

“Why do we have to lose a week [of preparation for the friendlies]? We should be happy for these four teams to play this tournament a week before the start of the league. Clubs maybe are happy because there’s money to win.

“But I don’t think players are happy to play such a tournament now. Even the coaches, I don't think they are [happy].”

Broos insisted the timing of the competition does not help Bafana, who gather on Sunday.

“If there was no tournament we could have been together maybe now. That was the plan.”

The international break for the World Cup in Qatar officially starts on Sunday, a week before the kickoff of the global showpiece on November 20, and ends on December 18, the day of the final.