Mmodi ready to stake his claim at Bafana

With a number of new faces in the Bafana Bafana team in camp for two friendly games this weekend and early next week, Pule Mmodi knows he has to grab his chance. 

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It is not Mmodi’s first Bafana call-up and he has been a regular feature since Hugo Broos became coach of the team and cast his scouting net wider to include players from the smaller teams. 

But while the Golden Arrows attacker has been with Bafana a few times, he has hardly featured in games and with Broos looking like he is changing his team, this could be a chance for Mmodi to put his name in the hat. 

Broos has said that he will use two different teams against Sierra Leone on Saturday and Botswana on Tuesday – both games are at FNB Stadium.

“I think the national team coach can see when one is working hard,” said Mmodi after playing a lead role in Arrows’ 4-0 drubbing of Swallows last weekend. 

“So it’s about scoring and keeping on working hard. And I have been working hard since the beginning of the season. I’m very happy because they are giving me a chance to play,” added the 29-year-old. 

Mmodi had a slow start to the season and he has admitted that this was due to a failed move to Kaizer Chiefs that he had anticipated would happen during the off-season. 

“I was not really disturbed. And since the move didn’t happen, I told myself that I will work hard and there’s nothing I can do except accept the situation,” said Mmodi.

“But initially I felt down, but I realised that there was nothing I could do about it. I feel happy now. I have been working hard and there’s still more to come from me. So what is happening right now is very encouraging,” headded. 

Broos meanwhile has had to continually change his initial team with injuries preventing some players from making the camp. 

He has had to replace promising Europe based striker Lyle Foster with Kaizer Chiefs’ Ashley Du Preez and Mamelodi Sundowns’ Terrence Mashego with Richards Bay’s Siyanda Msani.