Straight-talking Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has doubled down on his decision over Orlando Pirates striker Tshegofatso Mabasa with his absence from the latest squad raising eyebrows yet again.
Bafana host Uganda on Friday evening at Orlando Stadium in a crucial 2025 AFCON qualifier, before then travelling to Northeast Africa to take on South Sudan next Tuesday.
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Ahead of that match, Broos has made some surprise decisions over his selections.
These include the omission of Al Ahly attacker Percy Tau and the Orlando Pirates trio of Monnapule Saleng, Zakhele Lepasa and Evidence Makgopa.
Even with those omissions, the Belgian still had no space for 2023/24 season Premiership top scorer Mabasa – whose 16 goals league goals earned him the Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot.
Instead, the coach opted for new Mamelodi Sundowns striker Iqraam Rayners and Burnley FC's Lyle Foster as the squads' number nines.
"For the moment, I don't change," Broos explained, speaking to journalists on Tuesday when asked once more about the absence of Mabasa.
"The players who were here before in the previous games satisfied me. When you want someone else in the team, you have to pull someone else out.
"Okay, [let's say] I'll take Mabasa... Tell me who I have to leave out? Iqraam did well in Algeria [friendly] and against Nigeria and Zimbabwe [2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers]. Lyle is playing well in the Premier League [Championship]. So, I can't take someone [else] because [it means] I have to put someone out.
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"I have to see there is balance in my team and if something happens during a game that I can change something, not by putting someone who is the same type of player, no. Sometimes it's to put another [type] of player.
"Mabasa is not a different type of player than Lyle and Iqraam. Iqraam scores a lot also and Lyle is scoring in the Premier League [last season]."
Bafana's match against Uganda will kick off at 18:00.