Broos leaves skipper Hlatshwayo out of first Bafana squad

Hugo Broos has dropped captain Thulani Hlatshwayo from his first Bafana Bafana squad to face Uganda in an international friendly at Orlando Stadium on June 10.

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Hlatshwayo has been struggling this season at Orlando Pirates, but his omission still comes as a major surprise from the Belgian 69 year-old, who has named a 19-man squad to take on the Cranes.

“I was getting a lot of information in the last few days, I talked with my assistant (Helman Mkhalele is the new Bafana head coach) and I made a list, I didn’t look at who was captain,” said Broos.

“I just wanted a good list, it is for the first time and we will see. In September (for the start of the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers) there will be other names, I am sure, and maybe the captain will be there again. I also heard he didn’t have a good season, but he is not forgotten.”

Broos has also omitted the Chiefs’ veteran goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune, instead including young shot-stopper Bruce Bvuma, who was part of Bafana’s squad at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

“I think in the future we need a young ‘keeper, I saw the (Champions League) game between Chiefs and Simba, I got there early because I wanted to see him warming up. I was impressed by what he was doing and in the game he was also good, so we have given him a chance to show what he can do with Bafana.”

Broos has not named many members of the South African Under-23 side that will play in the Tokyo Olympic games July, which might appear to go against his promise to create a younger Bafana, but this is because the Under-23s will be playing in a competition in Dubai.

“There is a tournament in Dubai from May 10 to June 12, and I can see the project made (by David Notoane), with the team qualifying for the Olympics. I don’t want to take the players for only one game,” said Broos, who does nonetheless have SuperSport midfielders Teboho Mokoena and Sipho Mbule in his Bafana squad.

Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams, Bruce Bvuma

Defenders: Rivaldo Coetzee, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Mosa Lebusa, Rushine De Reuck, Innocent Maela, Craig Martin, Aubrey Modiba, Sibusiso Mabiliso.

Midfielders: Thabang Monare, Mothobi Mvala, Sipho Mbule, Keagan Dolly, Teboho Mokoena, Lebo Maboe.

Strikers: Bongokuhle Hlongwane, Percy Tau, Thabiso Kutumela