Thanduyise Khuboni urges support for Hugo Broos despite Bafana Bafana WC squad debate

Bafana Bafana’s 2010 Fifa World Cup squad member Thanduyise Khuboni is struggling to describe the team’s preliminary squad for the upcoming global showpiece, but says the nation must support coach Hugo Broos and the team.

Broos announced a 32-member provisional squad for the World Cup on Thursday night, which he is expected to trim to 26 players on May 27 at Union Buildings for the tournament set to be co-hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada next month.

While there was one notable surprise inclusion in the squad – Brooklyn Poggenpoel of Durban City – there were also a number of notable absentees, including defender Keanu Cupido and attackers Thembinkosi Lorch and Gift Links, who have been performing well for their clubs locally, continentally and abroad.

The omission of those players and others has divided football fans, with some accusing Broos of bias, while others believe the Belgian has done the right thing by sticking with his tried-and-tested players ahead of a major tournament.

“Eish, I don’t know how to describe the squad honestly,” Khuboni told Independent Media. “I think the coach selected players that he trusts, and they’ll do what he wants and do a good job of representing Bafana Bafana.

“When it comes to the selection of players, we as the public don’t have a say. It’s the coach’s decision. Our job is not only to support the coach, but the team because they represent all of us.”

Lorch has hogged the headlines for his impressive few months at Wydad Casablanca and current club Al-Ittihad, something that clearly caught the attention of fans. However, Broos made it clear that he does not believe Lorch is better than the players currently in the squad — the same applies to Links.

“Unfortunately in football, things don’t happen the way we planned,” Khuboni stated. “So, we can't do things from far away. We just have to support the coach and the team.

“We can say that we want such a player to be included in the team – because everyone can see what Lorch has been doing at his club, and other players as well – but in the end we don’t have the power to change the coach’s mind. I believe Hugo Broos knows what he’s doing.”

Bafana will not have it easy in their opening game against Mexico, who will host them at the buzzing Banorte Stadium on Thursday, June 11. Cognisant of the unfamiliar environment Bafana will face in Mexico, Khuboni has called for a never-say-die attitude on the pitch.

“Personally, the first game is always important,” Khuboni said. “If you get three points in the first game, that gives you confidence as a player, as a team and as a unit.

“If we can get three points in our first game, I strongly believe that in the following games we’ll be more confident and stand a big chance of qualifying for the next round.”

The former midfielder added that if Bafana are to reach the next round, they must work together as a unit, across the three areas – strikers, midfield, and defence – from the start to finish.

“If you want to go far in football, you have to create more scoring chances,” Khuboni said. “The strikers also have a responsibility to score. You can’t get anywhere without scoring goals.

“You also need creativity from midfield to create as many chances as possible. But those chances must be buried.

“Most importantly in football is to win matches, but if you can’t win, don’t lose them. So we also need to be solid defensively. If you don’t score, don’t concede.”