Makgopa replaces Mothiba as injuries frustrate Broos

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos is not too worried about the constant disruptions in the build-up to the Fifa World Cup qualifiers and Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) caused by the withdrawal of squad members.

Bafana start the 2026 World Cup qualifiers by hosting Benin at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on Saturday (3pm), before they travel to Rwanda to take on the Wasps in Huye on November 21.

Broos is set to kick off the qualifiers this weekend without key members of his squad such as Lyle Foster, France-based striker Lebo Mothiba and Innocent Maela.

Foster, Burnley’s target man, is battling mental health concerns, while Mothiba withdrew from the squad and has been replaced by Orlando Pirates’ Evidence Makgopa. There may be more withdrawals as two Mamelodi Sundowns players, Grant Kekana and Thapelo Maseko, are nursing minor injuries.

“I’m a little unhappy and I’m not blaming anyone, but that has happened a lot in the past three months,” Broos said.

 “When you look now you can see Mothiba is not there. I had a telephone chat with his coach, and we had the medical report of Mothiba. He is not able to play on Saturday.

“We have Kekana, Maseko also [doubtful] at the moment,” the coach said. “It’s a pity that it has happened in the last month because little by little we were working to [put together] the team that we wanted to work with in preparations for those two qualifiers and Afcon.”