'I will repeat again: no' – Broos on Mailula's readiness for Europe

Though Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos is impressed with what he's seen this week of Mamelodi Sundowns striker Cassius Mailula, he insisted on Thursday that the 21-year-old needs to stay for at least one more season in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) before considering offers from Europe.

Mailula has scored 14 goals in all competitions for Sundowns in his debut season, prompting Broos to call him for Bafana's crucial back-to-back 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers against Liberia starting on Friday at FNB Stadium.

The Sundowns striker may make his debut for Bafana in the first leg at the Orlando Stadium after winning Broos's approval with his conduct both on and off the field during the senior national team's camp this week. 

"When I look at him and his behaviour in the group, it's very good," said Broos of Mailula.

"He's a guy with two feet on the ground. Even though there are a lot of things to do with him, he's very cool. I like him very much.

"But I said it a few days ago when somebody asked if he's ready for Europe. I will repeat again: no, Mailula is not ready. He needs to have more experience and I hope he will stay at Sundowns and play again in the [Caf] Champions League next season."

But Broos is in no way doubting Mailula's quality and has suggested he's the player who can come off the bench on Friday to help Bafana win.

"He has something already now. It's very important that he scores. Once he's in the 16 and he gets a chance, it's a goal. He has it already. So if he can have a little bit more experience by playing good games at a high level, I think you can have a very good striker with him, certainly."

Other than Mailula, Broos said he was impressed with what he has seen of all the Bafana strikers at training this week and believes their input will be key to winning the first leg on Friday by as many goals as possible.

"Goal difference will be important and so we have to score goals. I think with players we have now, we have goal scorers. It's impossible to play all of the strikers at the same time but it's something extra if we have those who will play while on the bench. We still have players who can make decisions. But when you looked at the bench [in the past] there was not so much players who could score."

Broos added that the line-up he will put out in Monrovia will be determined by how they'll play in the first leg in Orlando.

"First of all, we have to see what we're doing tomorrow [Friday]. I think it will be different if we play a draw tomorrow and we have to go to Monrovia. It will be different if we win tomorrow. 

"It will depend on that, what we do in the second game. But tomorrow, yes, we have to score. We don't have to think this or that, no. We'll try to put the guys who can score and who are ready."

Bafana will still have a home game against Morocco to finish their qualification in June but by the look of things, Broos thinks it will be better to get as many points as they can against Liberia to be sure of their qualification.

Bafana didn't qualify for Afcon in 2021 after they had reached the last eight with Stuart Baxter in Egypt in 2019. 

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