Mosimane Rejects Claims He Favours Sundowns Players in Bafana Squad
Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane has denied that his time at Mamelodi Sundowns influences who he picks for the national team.
Pitso Mosimane has responded to talk that he leans towards Mamelodi Sundowns players when he names his Bafana Bafana squads. According to iDiski Times, the coach firmly denied that his history with the club plays any part in his selections.
A long history with the Tshwane club
Mosimane was in charge of Sundowns from 2012 to 2020, a period that brought the club a CAF Champions League title and five league championships, along with other silverware.
Some of the players he coached in that era, such as Themba Zwane and Thapelo Morena, are still in the frame for national team call-ups. That overlap has led some observers to ask whether his old ties to the club shape his thinking when he picks a squad.
What Mosimane said
Speaking on SABC Sport, Mosimane said the job of selecting a national team is harder than outsiders assume. In his words, “It is so difficult in the national team”, and he feels some people imagine a coach simply picks players he knows.
He described the kind of reasoning he believes critics apply: that because he once coached Sundowns, he must be calling up a particular player, Ndlovu, for that reason. Mosimane said people are free to say what they like about this. He insisted, though, that he bases his decisions on facts, and added: “I have my head on the block.”
The source does not give further detail on the specific criteria he uses to choose players.
Sundowns well represented for the Kenya match
The numbers are likely to keep the conversation going. Sundowns have 12 players in the current Bafana squad, which is preparing to face Kenya in the AFCON Qualifiers.
A large group from one club is not unusual in itself, but it gives fans and pundits something to debate, especially given the coach’s past at that club.
What this means for supporters
For fans, the real test will be on the field. The squad that meets Kenya in the AFCON Qualifiers will show whether the selections are judged to have been justified. Mosimane has made clear that he is ready to be held accountable for his choices, so performances in the qualifiers are likely to be the main measure of how they are judged.
Supporters who want to hear more from the coach can look out for his further interviews ahead of the Kenya fixture, though no specific date or broadcast details were given in the report.
This story is based on reporting by iDiski Times.
