Broos ‘had a chat’ with Mosele and is delighted to have Pirates star back in Bafana

Hugo Broos “had a good chat” with Goodman Mosele ahead of the Orlando Pirates midfielder’s Bafana Bafana call-up for friendlies against Guinea and France, the national coach said, and the player’s past transgression is now a closed book.                  

Broos said he is delighted to have Mosele, who absconded from a call-up for 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Ethiopia in October, finally in the Bafana fold as he has been in outstanding form for Pirates.

The coach believes the Bucs duo of Mosele and Thabang Monare can bring much-needed “power and aggression” to the Bafana midfield that was clearly lacking in last year’s World Cup qualifying campaign.

“Goodman made the mistake in October, but that doesn’t mean because someone made a mistake that you have to forget about them,” Broos said after recalling the classy midfielder to his squad for the games against Guinea in Belgium on March 25 and France in Lille on March 29.

“We had a good chat a few days ago. And this is finished for me now — the problem is solved.

“And when I see Goodman’s performances for Pirates I think he deserves another chance. And the chance is there now in the next games.”

The call-up of Monare, 32, has raised eyebrows as the country’s arguably most in-form midfielder, Mamelodi Sundowns’ 31-year-old Andile Jali, continues to be left out due to Broos’s youth and rebuilding policy.

But the coach said that he likes the look of Mosele and how he combines in the middle for Pirates with ex-Bidvest Wits star Monare.

“It’s both of them — Monare and Mosele. They give some power and aggression in the midfield. And this is what we need,”  he said.

“When you look at the World Cup qualifiers, sometimes our midfield was a bit too light because we didn’t have Mothobi Mvala there, another guy with aggression and power.

“We have to look for players who give us more power in that midfield, and in Mosele and Monare we have two players like that.”

SA were beaten 1-0 by Ghana in Cape Coast in their final World Cup group qualifying game in November, a game characterised by controversial refereeing decisions. A draw would have been enough to see them top Group G and reach the final World Cup qualifying round for Qatar 2022.

Bafana are using their friendlies against Guinea and world champions France as preparation for their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers that start in June.