NKARENG MATSHE | Pitso’s Bafana squad shows continuity, slight favouritism

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Pitso Mosimane seems to have lived up to his promise not to totally overhaul Hugo Broos’s Bafana Bafana squad, which did duty for the country at this year’s World Cup in North America.

But closer scrutiny reveals a slight shift from the Belgian coach’s picks, with several new faces in the 30-man team Mosimane named yesterday for this month’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea, as well as the friendly against Egypt.

Almost forgotten, Luther Singh has received a first national call-up in five years, with Mosimane reasoning the 29-year-old attacker has become a regular in the Cypriot league and could offer Bafana much-needed width.

Overlooked by Broos for the past two seasons, Tashreeq Matthews’s consistency for Mamelodi Sundowns has also caught Mosimane’s eye, as has Puso Dithejane, who has been in excellent form for Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire in the US.

About 18 players have survived from Broos’s World Cup squad, but some of the 12 “new” selections are not necessarily new. Thapelo Morena would most likely have made it to the World Cup were it not for injury, while Fawaaz Basadien and Shandre Campbell are not new picks either, as Broos had them in some of his camps.

But as is the case with every squad, Mosimane won’t escape criticism for some of his choices, whose efficacy can ultimately only be tested in match situations.

Why, for instance, would he pick Themba Zwane when he’s getting such limited game time at Sundowns? How about Thabang Matuludi, who was wrangled in transfer talks from Polokwane City to Sundowns and, consequently, has not played competitive football this season?

Broos also faced tough questions during his five-year reign, and there’s only one way to answer them: on-field performance. In the next two weeks, Mosimane will have plenty of chances to show us why he trusted the players he chose.

The selection of veteran Zwane is most puzzling, not least because of his age and lack of game time at Downs, and because he was sent off in the first World Cup match against Mexico on June 11.

But if there’s a coach who knows Zwane, it is Mosimane. He must have been convinced that for this qualifying campaign, he would need the services of the attacking midfielder who will be 41 years of age by 2030, when the next World Cup takes place.

Perhaps Mosimane sees “Mshishi” as SA’s own Ronaldo or Messi (the world-famous superstars captained Portugal and Argentina aged 41 and 39, respectively, at this year’s World Cup).

Another conundrum is in goalkeeping. Mosimane stuck with Broos’s three men: Ronwen Williams, Sipho Chaine and Ricardo Goss. But Goss returning to Sundowns means he’s no longer a regular and should be expendable in the long run. Mosimane won’t have justification to continue picking someone whose own team don’t see him as a starter.

Overall, Mosimane has proved he will be his own man, willing to open doors previously shut by Broos, and also showing his own element of favouritism — all coaches do. Results, though, will win over even those Bafana fans who opposed Mosimane’s return to the national coaching job.