Gaston Sirino of Kaizer Chiefs during the 2024 Carling Knockout Cup match between Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns at the FNB Stadium, Johannesburg on the 02 November 2024 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
Hugo Broos says Gaston Sirino is too old to make his Bafana Bafana squad, and that the Kaizer Chiefs attacking star doesn’t suit his style of play.
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Uruguay-born Sirino is eligible to play for Bafana after receiving his South African passport. The 33 year-old has played his club football in South Africa for closing in on seven years.
Sirino had a good start to the season with his new club Chiefs. This increased speculation that he could be called on by Broos for this month’s Africa Cup of Nations Group K qualifiers against Uganda and South Sudan. This is after Bafana and Sundowns star Themba Zwane was ruled out for some time with a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Sirino, however, didn’t make Broos’ provisional Bafana squad, let alone the final 23-man squad announced on Thursday.
“I know Sirino is a very good player, and I also know he can be very important for Chiefs,” said Broos.
“But he is not really the type of player I want. Also he is 33. I was looking for months to have someone other than Themba because he was old.”
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Broos was referring to the fact that when he first arrived to coach Bafana, he didn’t want to pick Zwane for Bafana because of his age. In the end, Broos changed his mind and has been rewarded with some fantastic performances from ‘Mshishi’. But It doesn’t seem like anything like that will happen with Sirino.
“He doesn’t really match my idea of football,” added Broos.
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