Orlando Pirates co-coach Mandla Ncikazi has cautioned Bafana coach Hugo Broos on how to handle players. Picture: Sydney Mahlangu/BackapagePix
Orlando Pirates co-coach Mandla Ncikazi has gone on to defend midfielder Goodman Mosele, who came under fire after snubbing coach Hugo Broos Bafana Bafana call-up for the back to back Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Ethiopia recently.
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Mosele failed to report for Bafana camp as he reportedly had a traditional ceremony he had to attend before going to the national senior team. But, that angered Broos, with the Belgian-born gaffer stating that the player could have at least called the technical team and told them he doesn’t want to play for Bafana.
The statements didn’t sit well with Ncikazi, who didn’t want to get into details on why the influential defender didn’t report for camp, however, he says if he was in Broos’ shoes, he could have done things differently.
“Sometimes it’s sad when you read some of the articles that are on the media that are not true. There are lots of speculations, and for me it comes very irresponsible when some of the statements that come out of the media – whether through the national team coach or anybody. The situation of Mosele, if you are in a position that I am in, is very sad without revealing too much,” said the Pirates mentor.
“But I understand his situation. If the coach chooses him or not, it’s in his right to do that. But, in a position the boy was in, I am fully supportive of what happened to him. And right now, he is back in training and we support his cause as the club and as coaches in front of him.
“But, what the coach says about players and how he says it, sometimes I wish it could be controlled and done in a better manner. But I am not in his shoes, but if I was where he is standing, I would do things differently.”
Meanwhile, in an interview with Phakaaathi, Broos declared that the door for Mosele to play for Bafana in future is still open.
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