Broos desperate for another Bafana camp in November
Currently, a number of his top forwards are injured in this international window
Image: Lefty Shivambu
With a number of his favourites forwards injured in this international window, where they face Sierra Leone and Botswana in friendlies, Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos is desperate for another camp in November.
Broos' leading forwards Percy Tau, Evidence Makgopa, Fagrie Lakay and Bongokuhle Hlongwane were excluded from the squad to play these two friendlies due to injuries. On Tuesday, the situation deteriorated as another regular marksman, Lyle Foster, was also forced to leave the camp with an unspecified injury. Kaizer Chiefs' Ashley du Preez has since been called-up as a replacement.
SA host Sierra Leone at FNB Stadium on Saturday (3pm). Bafana will then take on neighbours Botswana at the same venue on Tuesday (6pm). During his squad announcement media briefing last week, Broos revealed he'd notified the PSL about his plans to have a camp during the upcoming break, that has specially been granted to the leagues around the world to allow World Cup-bound nations to prepare. The global spectacle starts on November 20 in Qatar.
The PSL has already organised a one-day four-team Carling Cup competition, to be played at FNB Stadium on November 12. Speaking to the Safa media department yesterday, Broos underlined the importance of assembling in November. The Bafana coach insinuated the league hadn't replied to his request, keeping his fingers crossed that the league comes to the party.
"For the moment, I don't know... [if they'll have a camp in November] really I don't know. For the moment I am more afraid that we might not have it. I know it's a very difficult period but once you have to show an effort and to have a camp in November is an effort from everyone,'' Broos said.
"I hope that in the next days, I will have good news from that side [the PSL] so that we can start organising because for the moment we have opportunities to play [friendlies] against other teams but we can't sign a contract because we don't know if we will have a camp."
PSL acting CEO Mato Madlala wasn't reached for comment as her phone rang unanswered yesterday.