South Africa coach Hugo Broos has envied the strength of the Nigeria squad, noting that most of their players compete in top European Leagues, while his 23-man squad heading to Uyo in the coming days is composed mainly of players from the DStv Premiership.
African giants Mamelodi Sundowns have contributed nine players to the Bafana Bafana roster including 2023 Africa Cup of Nations stars Ronwen Williams and Teboho Mokoena.
By contrast, Finidi George has handed call-ups to ten players on the books of top-five European League clubs, including Maduka Okoye (Udinese), Calvin Bassey (Fulham), Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester), Frank Onyeka (Brentford), Alex Iwobi (Fulham), Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester), Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan), Ademola Lookman (Atalanta), Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen) and Terem Moffi (OGC Nice).
Boniface and Lookman featured in the final of the Europa League last month, while Onyedika played in the semifinal of the Europa Conference League.
Sundowns duo Teboho Mokoena and Khuliso Mudau have attracted interest from Premier League clubs in the past.
Hugo Broos believes that Bafana Bafana players will improve if they step out of their comfort zones and join European clubs.
Speaking at a press conference this week, the Belgian football tactician said: “It should be good for Bafana Bafana players to play in those high level competitions than the DStv Premiership, they will become better players.
“You see in other countries, take the opponent of next week, where they are playing – Italy, France, England – all the big competitions, and you see what kind of players they are.
“Let’s hope that AFCON and maybe the good results of the national team make that there is more interest in the South African players and can make the step not only what it was before, to go to or to be abroad. There are players now who are willing to do it.”
Siyabonga Ngezana (FCSB, Romania), Sphephelo Sithole (Tondela, Portugal) and Lyle Foster (Burnley, England) are the European-based players named in the South Africa squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria and Zimbabwe.
