Adams dropped by Bafana’s Broos for bad attitude

Stellenbosch FC midfielder Jayden Adams has been dropped from the Bafana Bafana squad for the home-and-away 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Group K qualifiers against Congo-Brazzaville.

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Bafana head coach Hugo Broos addressed the media in Gqeberha on Monday ahead of Friday’s home match, where he explained the absence of the 23-year-old.

Bafana’s Broos – ‘Jayden forced me to put him out’

Adams has been replaced in the squad by Chippa United midfielder Sinoxolo Kwabiya.

“They behaviour of Jayden forced me to put him out of the team,” Broos told reporters in Gqeberha, while not revealing exactly what Adams had done.

The skilful midfielder played for Stellenbosch in the MTN8 final on Saturday against Orlando Pirates and was supposed to be with Bafana alongside teammate Fawaaz Basadien.

“If you ask something about a player, it’s that they are professionals, so if I feel a guy doesn’t have that attitude, then for me it’s done,” added Broos.

“He’s not a guy who is 16, he’s not an old player either, but if he has the attitude that he had, the only thing I can do is get him out of the group, because this is not what I want from players.

“It’s up to Jayden now to think about it, on what he is going to do with his future.”

Adams has been a regular in the Bafana squad of late without making too many appearances. He played just 30 minutes of Bafana’s excellent showing at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations finals in the Ivory Coast earlier this year, where they grabbed a bronze medal.

His absence, however, does add to Broos’ problems in central midfield for the games against Congo-Brazzaville, with Sphephelo Sithole already out with a long-term injury, after breaking two bones in his leg last month against South Sudan.

Mbatha also out for Bafana

Thalenthe Mbatha, who scored two vital goals for Bafana in last month’s Afcon qualifiers against Uganda and South Sudan, has also pulled out of the squad with an injury. He has been replaced by Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Bathusi Aubaas.

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Aubaas has been used in midfield by Broos before – he played the full match and did well when Bafana scored a 2-1 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying victory over Morocco in June 2023. Only an injury after that stopped Aubaas’ international career from moving forward.

The other central midfielders in the squad are Mamelodi Sundowns’ Teboho Mokoena and Sweden-based Luke Le Roux. Mokoena has been a mainstay in Broos’ team for some time, but has not played for Sundowns since returning from the last international break.