Motaung backs Hugo Broos' selection criteria despite constant Kaizer Chiefs snub as Bafana Bafana coach's 'formula has worked' ahead of 2025 AFCON

Kaizer Chiefs have battled to have their players cement their places in the Bafana Bafana squad since Hugo Broos took charge. 

Even those who arrive at Naturena as established internationals often lose their national team spots soon after joining Amakhosi. 

That also touches on non-South Africans and defender Inacio Miguel is one example, having fallen out of the Angola squad following his move to Chiefs, while Glody Lilepo is struggling to return to the DR Congo setup.  

Now, four players, Mduduzi Shabalala and goalkeeper Brandon Petersen, as well as full-backs Bradley Cross and Thabiso Monyane, have been named in the Bafana preliminary squad for the 2025 AFCON finals. 

Their inclusion offers Chiefs a rare opportunity to re-establish a strong presence in the national setup, but it remains to be seen whether any of them will make Broos’ final 23-man selection.

Chiefs sporting director Kaizer Motaung Jr has shared his thoughts on the recent Bafana call-ups.

“I think if you’d ask anybody in the club, we want to have as many players in the national team as possible,” said Motaung Jnr as per iDiski Times.    

“We’re very proud also of the work that Hugo Broos has done – his formula has worked for him. He qualified for the AFCON, qualified for the World Cup.  It’s a massive task; he has done a great job.   

“From our side, the only thing we can do is… We just want the players to focus on – your league performance, what you do at club level, it generally happens at national level.   

“They’ve got to work; they’ve got to put their heads down and give the best for their club. We hear four players have been selected, it sounds great but it’s a preliminary squad and the coach has his plan for the tournament," added the former Amakhosi striker.   

“We hope that we can get as many players as possible on that stage, representing the county at AFCON in the best way possible but the work that Hugo Broos has been tremendous and it’s great to see.”

Petersen has been in impressive form this season, giving himself a strong chance of pushing for a plane ticket to Morocco. 

However, he still faces intense competition from Bafana captain Ronwen Williams, Ricardo Goss and Orlando Pirates’ Sipho Chaine. 

Renaldo Leaner and Darren Johnson are also in the mix, adding more competition for the Amakhosi goalkeeper to be selected for AFCON. 

At right-back, Monyane has his own battle as he must outperform Khuliso Mudau, Thapelo Morena and Thabang Matuludi. 

Coach Hugo Broos will also be forced to make tough decisions at left-back, with Aubrey Modiba, Samukelo Kabini, Fawaaz Basadien, Vuyo Letlapa and Cross all vying for selection.

The attacking midfielders' situation is much tougher, with Shabalala competing against several more established options for a place in the squad. 

That leaves the youngster needing to deliver consistently to convince Broos of his readiness in the next few games before Broos announces his final squad. 

Overall, the fierce competition across all positions reflects the growing depth within the Bafana setup.    

Chiefs face three matches before heading into the AFCON break, giving their players limited time to further impress Broos. 

By the time they play the last of those fixtures, Hugo Broos is expected to have already named his final squad for the tournament. 

That puts extra weight on Sunday’s CAF Confederation Cup showdown with Zamalek as players look to make a strong statement.   

The Premier Soccer League visit to Chippa United also carries the same significance, with both games offering a platform for standout performances. 

For the four Amakhosi players eyeing a place in Broos’ final selection, these two clashes could be decisive.