'It’s like I have killed someone!' Hugo Broos defends his decision to drop all Kaizer Chiefs players from Bafana Bafana squad - 'I feel that some journalists are linked with clubs'

Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has defended his decision to drop all Kaizer Chiefs players ahead of the friendlies against Tanzania and Mozambique.

The former Cameroon head coach has accused some journalists of driving an agenda against him, especially when he drops players from the teams he believes these journalists support.

"I feel that some journalists are linked with clubs. They are supporters of those clubs,” Broos told the media.

“For a supporter, it’s very difficult to accept that you didn’t take a player from his team. It’s not really the fact that you chose it, but it’s because it’s a player of that team, and they are a supporter. That is what happens here.

“For people outside, they are always linking players from certain clubs. So when I drop a player from Pirates, they say, "Ah, it’s a player from Pirates'."

Broos said his decision on who to select is influenced by the player's form and not by which club he comes from.

“When I don’t take players from Chiefs, it’s like I have killed someone. It has nothing to do with clubs when I make choices. I don’t make choices because they are from Pirates or Chiefs," he added.

"It’s a question of choice from my side. Sometimes it’s tactics, and sometimes it’s because the player is number two or three in terms of rankings in that position," he stated.

"No, I make a choice without knowing if this player is from Chiefs or Chippa [United]. I just take a player. If you have to drop players from big teams, what is the problem? You have to try to make a national team as strong as possible to play games.”

Again, Broos overlooked Amakhosi players when he trimmed his squad for the upcoming friendlies in June.

In the provisional squad, Yusuf Maart, Mduduzi Shabalala, and goalkeeper Bruce Bvuma had been included, but the trio did not make the final cut.

This was another instance when no player from the Glamour Boys was selected for national duties. In the March 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Broos did not call any player from Amakhosi.

He explained then that his choice was informed by the fact that Chiefs were struggling.

Bafana will take on Tanzania on June 6 at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium before the former African champions entertain Mozambique on June 10 at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium.

These friendlies are meant to sharpen the players ahead of the September and October World Cup qualifiers.

Some of the selected players are also expected to feature in the African Nations Championship (Chan) in August.