‘I want to go to Qatar,’ says Broos as he names youthful Bafana squad

Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has reiterated that his team will give their all to qualify for the World Cup finals in Qatar in 2022, even though he is not mandated to do so by the South African Football Association.

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Broos on Thursday named a 31-man provisional squad for the September Group G qualifiers in Zimbabwe and at home to Ghana. Bafana will play in Zimbabwe on September 3 and Ghana on September 6 at FNB Stadium.

These will be the first games that Broos takes charge after being appointed at the start of May, as he had to go back to Belgium to get his follow up Covid-19 vaccination and missed a friendly against Uganda and the Cosafa Cup.

The Belgian, however, did keep a close eye on those games, as well as the Tokyo Olympics, and has broadly selected a squad from those tournaments, keeping true to his promise to build a youthful Bafana team.

The recognition of the need for a building phase is a large part of the reason Safa have not told Broos he has to qualify for Qatar 2022.

“I want to go to Qatar, don’t let me be misunderstood,” said Broos.

“I would like to be in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2023 (as well) and I would like to be in the 2026 World Cup. That is my ambition, and is the ambition I want to put into my team. Qualification for the World Cup is extremely difficult, there are 40 countries and only five will be in Qatar.

“The ambition has to be to go to Qatar, but because we are rebuilding a new young, maybe it doesn’t happen. So we don’t have to be disappointed (if it doesn’t).”

Broos has selected the likes of TS Galaxy midfielder Ethan Brooks and Sekhukhune United midfielder Yusuf Maart, who shone in the Cosafa Cup, and Portugal-based Kabomelo Kodisang, who was one of South Africa’s better players in Tokyo. Younger stars like Gift Links and Sphephelo Sithole, who were not released by their clubs for Tokyo, have still made the Bafana squad, which will be reduced to 23 players when the international break begins.

“At the moment we have approximately 45 players on a sheet of paper and we tried to see where they were playing and how well they were playing. There is still Covid, you never know what happens, and there are games in the next week and next weekend. There can be injuries. You have to send a list of players to Fifa 15 days before (the game). After next weekend, we will announce 23 players,” added Broos.

Bafana squad:

Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams, Veli Mothwa, Bruce Bvuma, Sifiso Mlungwana

Defenders: Nyiko Mobbie, Thapelo Morena, Njabulo Blom, Mabiliso, Kabomelo Kodisang, Innocent Maela, Rushine De Reuck, Siyanda Xulu, Thibang Phete, Mthokozisi Dube, Njabulo Ngcobo, Mosa Lebusa

Midfielders: Sipho Mbule, Mothobi Mvala, Sphephelo Sithole, Yusuf Maart, Teboho Mokoena, Sphelele Mkhulise, Ethan Brooks, Siyethemba Sithebe

Strikers: Thabiso Kutumela, Bongokuhle Hlongwane, Gift Links, Evidence Makgopa, Victor Letsoalo, Luther Singh, Percy Tau