The curious omission of Mamelodi Sundowns defender Grant Kekana from the latest Bafana Bafana squad has drawn whispers of discontent in some quarters, and now head coach Hugo Broos has added his voice in explaining the decision.
On Thursday, Broos announced his final 23-man squad for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against the tricky Uganda and so-called whipping boys of Group K, South Sudan.
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Among the surprises was the absence of Kekana, who has been a key figure for the national team in recent years and was part of the squad that returned with a bronze medal from the 2023 showpiece, played earlier this year.
Speaking to media on his selection choices, Broos alluded that the emergence of Siyabonga Ngezana and Rushwin Dortley had made his decision somewhat difficult.
"It was a matter of choice. That is why I had to leave him out. It was a tough decision that I had to make," Broos explained.
"The question you must always ask yourself is if I take [Mothobi] Mvala, am I supposed to leave out Ngezana, [Rushwin] Dortley, or [Nkosinathi] Sibisi? It was a difficult choice to make, and as a coach, that is your job.
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"You must make the tough choices, and they are not always nice — not only for me but also for the player.
"So, this is just a choice that I made, and I hope it was the right choice," he added.
Bafana will play Uganda away next Friday, 15 November, before returning home to host South Sudan in Cape Town on Tuesday, 19 November.