Broos slams dishonest clubs over player withdrawals ahead of Bafana friendlies

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos wasn’t too pleased to see Percy Tau play for Al Ahly on Sunday after he had asked to be excused from Bafana, also implying Mamelodi Sundowns haven’t been honest about players’ injuries recently.

Tau, who netted a brilliant brace when Al Ahly beat Ismaily 3-1 in the league, had been withdrawn from the Bafana Bafana squad to face Eswatini and Ivory Coast in friendlies due to “family reasons”.

Kaizer Chiefs’ Mduduzi Mdantsane has since replaced Tau.

Bafana host Eswatini at FNB Stadium on Friday at 6pm, before travelling to Ivory Coast for the second match four days later.

“I had contact with Tau last week and he said for family reasons he wouldn’t like to be here with us, and I understood it but on the other hand I am not amused that he played with Al Ahly,” Broos said at a media conference at the Tuks High Performance Centre in Pretoria.

“Unfortunately this camp is again disturbed by injuries like last month. We had [Bathusi] Aubaas, [Thapelo] Morena, [Innocent] Maela and [Thapelo] Maseko [missing the camp].

“Maseko is something different … it’s the second time we have that surprise that the player is injured [and] then suddenly he plays.

“Last month it happened with [Khuliso] Mudau and this month it’s Maseko [who came off the bench in Sundowns’ MTN8 final penalty shoot-out defeat to Orlando Pirates at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday].”

Broos urged clubs to understand he desperately needs players to have thorough preparations for the World Cup qualifiers next month and Afcon in January.

“We need better communication between me, our national team and clubs so that we know how much the player is injured and if he’s not ready to come to the national team,” the Bafana Bafana trainer said.

“Clubs have to understand that in very important periods they want to have their players but it’s the same case for me, for us as the national team.

“I hope for a little more collaboration from that side,” he said.