SA face Guinea in Belgium on March 25 and will be tested against world champions France in Lille four days later as Hugo Broos will be preparing for crucial Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers in June.
After their defeat to Ghana in November last year, South Africa failed to advance to the next and final round of the qualifiers, ending their prospects of travelling to Qatar at the end of the year.
On Tuesday, Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos announced a relatively rejuvenated 29-man preliminary squad for Bafana’s international friendly matches against France and Guinea in Belgium and France later this month.
He says that his selection is down to the outcome against Ghana.
“The challenges, I think, [that came] after the qualifiers for the World Cup, we evaluated the team and saw that there were some weaknesses, certainly in the game against Ghana. The team was not ready to play such a game,” said Broos.
“We saw that Ghana started the game very aggressively, and we didn’t have an answer to that, so that was one of the things we saw, and therefore we started to look for other players and see where we could improve the team.
“So, those two games [against France and Guinea] are not really about the results but more about preparation for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in June.
“There will be new players; we will see if they are playing well in their clubs and then see if they perform for Bafana, which is a level higher.
“Let us hope that they improve the team. So, we are using these games to be ready for June and know that we have a stronger team than the team that played in the [World Cup] qualifiers.”
Broos reveals that the Guinea and France matches are about preparing his charges for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers that kick-off in June.
The team will be led by Ronwen Williams and Percy Tau. The squad has notable inclusions in Goodman Mosele, Bandile Shandu and Thabang Monare of Orlando Pirates, and Lyle Lakay and Khuliso Mudau of Mamelodi Sundowns.
Broos has also included Fagrie Lakay of Pyramids FC in Egypt, Lyle Forster of Westerlo in Belgium, Nkosinathi Sibisi of Golden Arrows, Veluyeke Zulu of Chippa United and Athenkosi Mcaba of Stellenbosch.
Other notable inclusions are Keagan Dolly of Kaizer Chiefs and Rivaldo Coetzee of Sundowns. Broos, though, continued to overlook Themba Zwane and Andile Jali of Sundowns and the France-based duo of Bongani Zungu and Lebo Mothiba.
Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams (SuperSport), Bruce Bvuma (Chiefs), Veli Mothwa (AmaZulu), Brylon Petersen (Chiefs)
Defenders: Nyiko Mobbie (Sekhukhune), Siyanda Xulu (unattached), Terence Mashego (Cape Town City), Nkosinathi Sibisi (Arrows), Sbonelo Cele (Arrows), Veluyeke Zulu (Chippa), Rivaldo Coetzee (Sundowns), Athenkosi Mcaba (Stellenbosch), Rushine de Reuck (Sundowns), Khuliso Mudau (Sundowns),
Midfielders: Keagan Dolly (Chiefs), Mduduzi Mdantsane (Cape Town City), Ethan Brooks (TS Galaxy), Lyle Lakay (Sundowns), Thabang Monare (Pirates), Teboho Mokoena (Sundowns), Goodman Mosele (Pirates), Bandile Shandu (Pirates), Pule Mmodi (Arrows)
Strikers: Victor Letsoalo (Royal AM), Fagrie Lakay (Pyramid, Egypt), Percy Tau (Al Ahly, Egypt), Bongokuhle Hlongwane (Minnesota, USA), Lyle Forster (Westerlo, Belgium), Evidence Makgopa (Baroka)
Broos also said that victory is not a priority against world champions France in SA’s high-profile international friendly in Lille next week.
According to him; “Results in those games against France and Guinea are not important. We don’t have to think about victory against France, we are playing the world champions, but we have to produce a good performance and this is important.”