There are a lot of winners here: newbie Miguel Timm on Bafana squad

Bafana Bafana have a lot of winners and want to transfer that to performances on the international stage, new call-up Miguel Timm said as the team prepared for Thursday night’s friendly against Mozambique at Mbombela Stadium in Mpumalanga.

There seems to be good enough reason for the tough Orlando Pirates midfielder Timm, when he looks around him at the players at training in the national team, to get the feeling he is surrounded by winners.

Other new call-ups include his club teammate Monnapule Saleng, who has been in red-hot scoring form, including a stunning free kick from an impossible angle against AmaZulu that saw Spanish coach Jose Riveiro’s charges lift the MTN8 trophy a fortnight ago.

Timm was man of the match in the final at Durban's Moses Mabhida Stadium. Emerging striking talent Zakhele Lepasa is another Buccaneer in Mbombela.

The Bucs have battled for trophies in the wake of Mamelodi Sundowns’ fearsome dominance of domestic football, but bolstered by strong signings they have shown improvement, with two MTN8 trophies in three seasons.

Casting his eye around the Bafana training ground, Timm would also have noticed plenty of stars from trophy machine Downs in Broos’s relatively young squad, including Rushine de Reuck and Teboho Mokoena, and the more experienced Ronwen Williams, Thapelo Morena and Themba Zwane.

For some time Broos inexplicably resisted building his squad around the Brazilians, South Africa’s strongest and most consistent representatives in continental club football.

The Belgian is using the games in Mbombela games against Mozambique on Thursday (8.30pm) and Angola on Sunday (3pm) taking place during the Fifa break for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar as build-up for the Africa Cup of Nations Cup qualifiers against Liberia in March. They take place during the Fifa break for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

The opportunity presented by Zimbabwe’s expulsion by Fifa could see Bafana through to Ivory Coast 2023 with four points home and away against Liberia, which would allow crucial international exposure for the emerging stars such as Saleng in Broos’s Bafana set-up.

Up-and-coming stars from Pirates and Sundowns could also bring a much-needed winning mentality to Bafana.

“I’m obviously excited to be part of the group for the first time. I’m here to enjoy the moment and if I get the opportunity [I will] grab it with both hands,” Timm said.

“There’s a big pool of players to select from. I’m happy to have made the cut. I’m here to play whatever role is required of me, whether it’s to support from the bench or on the pitch.

“I know for a fact none of us have come to the camp to mess around. I think there are a lot of winners here and we’ve come to win these two games before we have the [World Cup] break.

“Like the coach and captain said, there’s a bigger picture here for March. We have to keep that in the back of our minds. So we’ll have a full go this week and try to build the foundation looking forward to March.”

Broos’s squad were hit by the withdrawals of Portugal-based defender Thibang Phete, Belgium-based forward Lyle Foster and Cape Town City forward Mihlali Mayambela. City’s big centreback Taariq Fielies and Minnesota FC forward Bongokuhle Hlongwane made worthy replacements.

TS Galaxy midfielder Bathusi Aubaas, Azerbaijan-based defender Siyanda Xulu and Swedish-based midfielder Luke le Roux were late arrivals in camp on Tuesday.

Bafana are ranked 67th in the world and Mozambique 114th.