Kaizer Chiefs players were snubbed from Bafana Bafana, with Nasreddine Nabi responding to Hugo Broos’ comments regarding the exclusion of Amakhosi players from the national team.
This past week, Broos announced the final squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin, scheduled for March 21 and 25. Despite initial hopes, no Chiefs player made the final cut after Rushwin Dortley, who was in the preliminary squad, was ruled out due to injury.
Broos explains Chiefs players’ omission
When asked about the potential inclusion of Chiefs midfielder Thabo Cele, Broos gave a reserved response.
“Yeah, sure [he will be considered],” Broos stated. However, he quickly pointed out that Chiefs’ overall performance has not met the required standard.
“You can’t tell that Chiefs already is back. I thought [they were] maybe at the beginning of the season,” Broos added.
“But I don’t know what happened because they are still struggling. And I saw them yesterday [Wednesday], playing against Cape Town City FC; you can’t say that everything is alright in that team. When the team is better, and players play better, surely we will call up players from Chiefs.
“But for the moment, I don’t think that I have to call them because they are really struggling in the league and let’s hope that not only for Chiefs but for all South African football that next year, they are again that team that big team…[that] fight for the championship.”
Nabi responds: Cele deserves a national spot
In response to Broos’ decision, Nabi acknowledged and respected the national team coach’s choices. However, he stood by Cele’s quality and expressed confidence in his future call-up.
“We have to respect the choices and the decisions of the national team coach because he’s the one who makes the choices, and that doesn’t take away our feeling that Cele is a very good player,” said Nabi.
“And we hope that in the future, he will go back to the national team. We know that by working hard, that time will come.”
What’s next for Chiefs players?
While Amakhosi fans might be disappointed by the exclusion of their stars. Nabi remains optimistic that improved team performances will lead to future national team call-ups. With Chiefs still struggling in the league. The focus now shifts to turning their season around and proving their worth on the pitch.
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