Broos misses European-based players but sees advantage for Bafana at Afcon

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos suggested with his appraisal of four foreign-based players not being in camp that “it’s a little problem, it’s not a big problem”, saying he sees an advantage in his team’s preparations compared to some of their rivals for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) trophy.

Broos said dark horses Bafana started training on their arrival in their camp at Pretoria University’s High Performance Centre on Monday with 12 players. This was partly because the nine Orlando Pirates players were given a few more days off after Bucs beat Marumo Gallants 1-0 in extra time of the Carling Knockout final in Polokwane on Saturday.

With Fifa having moved the date for clubs to be enforced to release players from this past Monday to the coming one (December 15), four foreign-based Bafana players will only join the squad next week, three of them probably on the national team’s arrival in Morocco on Wednesday. They are Club Brugges’ young forward Shandre Campbell, defender Siyabonga Ngezana of FCSB in Romania, Burnley striker Lyle Foster and midfielder Sphephelo Sithole of CD Tondela in Portugal.

Saudi-based Mohau Nkota and Elias Mokwana, Tylon Smith of Queens Park Rangers and Danish-based left-back Samukele Kabini had arrived, Broos disclosed in a press conference at Tuks’ HPC on Wednesday.

Bafana depart for North Africa for the tournament that starts on December 21, and where South Africa open their Group B campaign against Angola in Marrakesh on December 22, the day after meeting Ghana in a friendly in Gauteng.

Broos said the game against the West Africans, who have not qualified for the Afcon, is no more than a “training match”.

“It’s not so important that we play against a Ghana who are not the strength of the Ghana we know,” he said.

The coach admitted the four overseas-based players’ late arrival presents some challenge to Bafana, but said he could not imagine the upheaval Fifa’s decision has wrought on some of the Afcon big guns whose squads are almost entirely made up of foreign-based players.

South Africa having most of their squad — made up predominantly of Betway Premiership-based players — in camp early provides some margin of advantage in Bafana’s preparations.

“In the beginning, Monday, December 8, was the release date for players but for some reason Fifa changed it to December 15 [this coming Monday],” Broos said.

“That means players based abroad cannot be with the national team before the 15th. And I’m wondering what countries like Morocco, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Mali, who have only overseas-based players, are going to do.

“They will have their players next week on the 15th, and for Morocco, six days later they play the opening game [against Comoros in Rabat on December 21].

“That says again what Fifa thinks about Caf [the Confederation of African Football] and Africa. And I’m sure there was pressure from the European clubs to change that date.

“That’s the reason why Ngezana, Foster, Campbell and Sithole can’t be here before next week.”

Broos said it makes sense for three of those four to join the Bafana squad in Morocco from midweek.

So it’s a little problem, it’s not a big problem. And I’m happy to be coach of a country that has the majority of its players based locally. Because otherwise you can’t start the camp.

—  Hugo Broos

“Foster is playing on Saturday so he could be here on Monday. With Campbell, Brugges are playing on Sunday so he would arrive on Tuesday.

“Sithole is playing on Saturday and would be here on Monday. But I don’t think you can ask those guys to travel and be here on Monday [or Tuesday] and then leave for Morocco on Wednesday.

“So I’m thinking about leaving those players [training] at their clubs and they will join us next week on Wednesday when we arrive in Morocco.

“For Ngezana it’s a bit different — they [FCSB] play on Monday so that means he can’t play [for his club] because it’s the day they have to release their players.

“So we will call Ngezana in the next days because tomorrow [Thursday] he’s playing a Europa League game against Feyenoord and maybe he can already travel on Friday and be with us on Saturday.

“So it’s a little problem, it’s not a big problem. And I’m happy to be coach of a country that has the majority of its players based locally.

“I don’t think my colleagues in the other countries will be so happy at the moment.”

After their opening game against Angola, Bafana meet Egypt in Agadir on December 26 and end Group B against Zimbabwe back in Marrakesh on December 29.

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