Despite punishing Jayden Adams for 'bad behavior', Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos is hoping the Stellenbosch FC midfielder sees the situation as a wake-up call and has kept the door open for a return to the national team.
Adams landed on Broos' naughty list when he failed to report to camp ahead of Bafana's Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Congo-Brazzaville, an act the Belgian mentor acted swiftly in reprimanding.
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He was also left out of the latest squad to face Uganda and South Sudan in the last round AFCON qualifiers to be played on Friday and next Tuesday.
"I talked already before about attitude," Broos told journalists on Monday when quizzed about the extent of the 24-year-old's punishment.
"If you don't have the right attitude, you can have as much talent as you want, you will never achieve a big career. Never!
"It's totally normal that he makes mistakes. The only thing I hope he learns about his mistakes, so I punish him. I see that after the camp he has a little bit of trouble playing for Stellenbosch. That has to have a reason. That means I think that the coach [Steve Barker] is not really happy with his attitude also.
"Again, if he learns about that, then there is no problem and I hope that he learns about it, and I hope he knows that having talent is not enough," says the 72-year-old.
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Broos made emphasis about having the right attitude, and adds that it should be a pity that Adams spoils his career by not having the right attitude.
"So, we have to help him because he is a young player.
"So, because he is not there now, because he was not there in the last camp, I hope for him it's a wake-up call, and the fact that he doesn't play at Stellenbosch, that is also a wake-up call."
Bafana's match against Uganda is at the Mandela National Stadium in Uganda.
Kick-off is at 15:00 (SA time).