Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has continued to leave out Njabulo Blom and Bongokuhle Hlongwane after naming his squad for their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Blom and Hlongwane have impressed in Major League Soccer in the United States, but have not done enough to convince the Belgian to include them in the national team.
Hlongwane is Minnesota United’s second highest goalscorer this season with seven strikes, while Blom has also featured regularly for struggling St. Louis City SC.
Bafana begin their campaign to qualify for next year’s Afcon with a game against Uganda at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg on September 6, followed by a trip to South Sudan four days later.
Vitesse forward Simon van Duivenbooden has been included in the senior national team for the first time. The 22-year-old van Duivenbooden was born in the Netherlands to South African parents and holds dual-citizenship.
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos names the preliminary squad to face Uganda and South Sudan in two 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in September 2024. pic.twitter.com/7brilXGsxY
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) August 20, 2024
The lanky striker had this to say two years ago: “I visit home once a year to see my family and I think it’s a beautiful country – it would mean a lot to me to represent South Africa.”
Broos’ team are currently on an impressive eight-match unbeaten run. The last game they lost was last year’s Africa Cup of Nations semi-final against Nigeria.
IOL Sport