Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has clamped down on some players who he felt let him down with ill-discipline and poor attitude during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Morocco.
Broos announced his squad for this month’s back-to-back friendly matches against Central American side Panama on Thursday, leaving out a number of players who were part of the Afcon squad that disappointingly exited in the last 16, 2-1 against Cameroon.
Broos explained that during the postmortem exercise with assistant coach Helman Mkhalele, the technical staff picked up aspects that contributed to their unsatisfactory performances at the tournament, elements that could not be allowed to continue further.
“Myself and Helman, we made the evaluation of Afcon shortly after we came back and we saw things that couldn’t happen anymore,” said Broos.
“We also saw things that we knew but we couldn’t change immediately. So we dropped them [players identified as negative influences] and took other players and I hope the guys who are not here now will look in the mirror and ask, ‘Why am I not with the national team?’”
Among notable casualties from the squad that went to the Afcon in Morocco in December and January are Sipho Chaine, Siyabonga Ngezana, Sipho Mbule, Bathusi Aubaas, Mohau Nkota and Elias Mokwana.
Of course, not all of those players have been dropped for ill-discipline and poor attitude. Many changes are tactical or form-related.
The player who will feel unlucky to be left out is striker Iqraam Rayners because he has been doing well for Mamelodi Sundowns when it comes to scoring goals and among the league’s top scorers.
“It is very clear and it is about quality because when you don’t have quality, you can’t be in the Bafana squad. Your performances must show your quality every week in the PSL or where you play for your club,” Broos said.
“Second and even more importantly, it is about mentality. If you don’t have the right mentality, it is going to be difficult and it can ruin the atmosphere in the group.”
Players who benefited from the ruthless cull by Broos with inclusions on Thursday are Sekhukhune United goalkeeper Renaldo Leaner, Hannover 96 defender Ime Okon, Sundowns’ midfielders Jayden Adams and veteran Themba Zwane, Minnesota United attacker Bongokuhle Hlongwane and Aris Limassol winger Thapelo Maseko.
It is believed Broos was highly disappointed by the behaviour of some of the players in Morocco and this explains why he has made so many changes.
“You must have discipline. Those are the details and when you don’t have the discipline, like arriving on time for meals, you will not have the discipline to follow instructions that the coach is going to give you on the field.
“We have already talked about Jayden and [Mbekezeli] Mbokazi [who missed flights or reported late to camp last year] and I don’t have to return there. That was not the right attitude they showed, but they are back with the team.
“I think they have learnt their lessons and sometimes you have to tough with someone to make him understand that is not the right way to go. You see how Jayden has come back [being in form for Sundowns] and when you don’t have these things together, you are not ready to be with Bafana.
“That is the main reason for what happened at Afcon and why we didn’t perform well on the pitch. It was because off the pitch things were not right.”
One of the reasons advanced by insiders for the unsatisfactory results in Morocco is that the team was built around Pirates players, but some of them cracked under pressure.
I will not give comment on players that have been dropped from this camp and about Sipho. Learner is a very good goalkeeper and he has had good performances from Sekhukhune United
— Hugo Broos
It was not the same with Afcon in the Ivory Coast where the team was built around Sundowns, who were more battle-hardened because of the club’s vast Caf Champions League knockout stage experience dating back many years.
On the return of inspirational Zwane, who missed the last Afcon because he returned from long-term injury at Downs too late, Broos said: “You don’t hesitate about him when he is fit, but we will see how fit he is and what he can bring to the national team.
“I hope we can have Themba Zwane [at the World Cup] because he will be important to the team. He is an experienced player, and everyone has a lot of respect for him. I see that everyone at Sundowns has a lot of respect for him.”
A notable exclusion is that of Pirates keeper Chaine, but Broos did not want to comment on it.
“I will not give comment on players that have been dropped from this camp and about Sipho. [Renaldo] Leaner is a very good goalkeeper and he has had good performances with Sekhukhune United,” the coach said, adding Bafana are improving capacity in the goalkeeping department.
“We have goalkeepers who are over 30 and this means we have to look to the future. I know he [Leaner, 28] is not a young goalkeeper but we need to have back-up and solutions if something happens to Ronwen, Goss or Sipho.”
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