‘For the moment I don’t change’: why Broos still overlooks Pirates’ Mabasa

Hugo Broos is happy with the centre-forwards he has been calling to his Bafana Bafana squad so still has no room for Orlando Pirates striker Tshegofatso Mabasa.

“For the moment, I don't change,” the coach said when asked why he has continued to leave out Mabasa despite his scoring form and being a striker who could offer the national team a lot in physical presence up front. 

Bafana meet Uganda in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at Orlando Stadium on Friday (6pm), then South Sudan in Juba on Tuesday. 

Mabasa — who scored 19 goals in 33 league and cup games for Pirates in 2023-2024, 10 of those in just 13 games in the Premiership — has one goal in five appearances for Bucs this season. The goal came in their 2-0 MTN8 semifinal second leg win at Orlando Stadium on Saturday. 

The big striker's battering ram style and poacher's instinct for getting into good positions seems suited to international football. 

Broos left forwards Percy Tau of Al Ahly and Pirates' Evidence Makgopa out of his squad due to lack of game time but still had no room for Mabasa. 

He said he is happy with the qualities offered by Burnley's Lyle Foster and new Mamelodi Sundowns signing from Stellenbosch FC Iqraam Rayners. 

“The players who were here before in the previous games satisfied me. When you want someone else in the team you have to pull someone else out,” Broos said. 

“I could ask you: OK, I'll take Mabasa — tell me who I have to leave out? Iqraam did well in Algeria [a 3-3 friendly draw] and against Nigeria and Zimbabwe [in a World Cup qualifying draw and win]. Lyle is playing well in the Premier League [now in the Championship]. 

“So I can't take someone because, yes, I have to put someone out. I have to see there is balance in my team and if something happens during a game that I can change something, not by putting [in] someone who is the same type of player, no. Sometimes it's to put [in] another [type] of player. 

“Mabasa is not a different type of player than Lyle and Iqraam. Iqraam scores a lot also and Lyle is scoring in the Premier League [last season]. 

“So for the moment it may be difficult to accept for you [the questioner], for the player or maybe for the club, but for the moment I don't change.” 

Foster, who scored five goals in 24 Premier League games for relegation-bound Burnley in 2023-2024, has one goal in a cup game in five matches for the now-Championship club this campaign. 

Rayners, while he has been embroiled in a transfer saga with Sundowns, has played one Caf Confederation Cup game for Stellies, against Eswatini's Nsingizini Hotspurs, in 2024-2025. He was the Premiership's second top scorer with 15 goals to Mabasa's 16 last season.