Africa-Press – South-Africa. Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos is unhappy there were some doubts that Mamelodi Sundowns’ seven late arrivals to his camp for two friendlies in Algeria would travel after statements by Brazilians coach Rulani Mokwena that some might have niggling injuries.
Indications from Sundowns and the South African Football Association (Safa) are the seven players are en route to Algeria, but SuperSport United defender Siyanda Xulu might have had problems travelling.But Broos expressed his dissatisfaction, nonetheless, continuing his unfortunate back-and-forth with the coach of the club that supplied the bulk of Bafana’s starting XI as they won bronze at the Africa Cup of Nations last month.
Broos said it took Bafana a gruelling 30 hours to reach Annaba in Algeria, where they meet Andorra at Stade du 19 Mai 1956 on Thursday (11pm SA time), after a three-hour layover in Dubai and six hours in Algiers.Eight players — seven from Sundowns and Xulu from SuperSport — were to join the rest of the squad, who left on Sunday, late. Sundowns beat Maritzburg United 2-0 in their Nedbank Cup last 16 match in Pretoria on Sunday. SuperSport’s 3-1 win against Richards Bay was on Saturday, but the game was played in Durban so their players also could not depart Johannesburg on Sunday.
Bafana meet Algeria in Algiers on Tuesday.
Broos said defender Siyabonga Ngezana, who plays for FCSB in Romania, had “lost documents and for that reason couldn’t leave Romania”.
The Bafana coach said in a digital press conference from Algeria on Tuesday the late arrival of so many crucial members of his squad for the game against 164th-ranked Andorra is not ideal.
“We are still waiting for eight players who played on Sunday. And they will arrive having done the same [30-hour] trip we had, so they will arrive this evening at around 8pm or 9pm,” Broos said.
“We have a game on Thursday already, so it’s only two days — it will be problematic for those players.
“And then there are some things I am not very pleased about but I cannot go into detail. I just hope my fear will not be realised and we will have a positive feeling after the two games we have to play here.”
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