Leave Sundowns players out of Afcon squad, Pitso tells Baxter

The likes of Hlompho Kekana, Themba Zwane, Lebogang Maboe, Sibusiso Vilakazi, Tiyani Mabunda and Rivaldo Coetzee are regular features in Stuart Baxter’s Bafana Bafana squad and most of the are expected to make the final 23-man team that will represent South Africa in the Africa Cup of Nations next month in Egypt.

However, their club coach Pitso Mosimane has suggested that Baxter should consider leaving Bafana Ba Style behind because he may run the risk of having “flat” players in the continental spectacle.

The Brazilians have been competing in two editions of the Caf Champions League which overlapped into the same season, while they have been defending the Absa Premiership title, which they are in pole position to retain ahead of their final match against Free State Stars this Saturday.

“I hope Stuart Baxter understands where we are and if he wants to get the best out of Sundowns players… I don’t know if he can see it the way I see it because it might probably not be good to take them because you might get flat players in the Afcon,” said Mosimane.

“He is an experienced coach and I think he understands because he communicates. I think he will communicate about Hlompho Kekana and them, these guys are finished. You need to regenerate them and bring them back, and how do we do that? We don’t train, we just pitch for the match. I don’t talk tactics with Themba Zwane because they know and they have been here for many years. That is why I stick to one team because we don’t train,” Mosimane added.

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