National Teams
Hugo Broos sweating on fitness of six Sundowns players ahead of South Africa clash with Nigeria
By Wale Mustapha
South Africa could be without six key players for their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying encounter against Nigeria on Friday.
The six players, who are from Premier Soccer League (PSL) side Mamelodi Sundowns, are also regulars in the Bafana Bafana squad. Grant Kekana has been ruled out of the clash after sustaining an injury against Orlando Pirates in the Nedbank Cup final on Saturday.
Other players recovering from varying degrees of niggles include Aubrey Modiba, Teboho Mokoena, Bathusi Aubaas, and Ronwen Williams. Khuliso Mudau appeared to have suffered a shoulder injury in the final but is still in camp and could be fit for Friday’s match.
Coach Hugo Broos, speaking about his team’s preparations for the match slated for the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, expressed concerns over their fitness levels, which he attributed to the workload from the season’s activities.
“Those four players have little problems but will be ready for the game. It’s amazing that from the six injuries, it’s six players of the same team, Sundowns, they had many injuries this season,” Broos said.
“Everybody knows, one of the reasons is certainly the overloaded program. They played a lot of games, but what is interesting is that 75% of the injuries are groin and hamstring injuries, and I think it has to be something more than too many games.
“I hope that the medical staff of Sundowns can find the reason for that because next season it will be exactly the same. They will have the same overloaded program, playing PSL, MTN8, Champions League, and there’s even the Club World Cup at the end of the season,” the Bafana Bafana coach added, as quoted by iDiski Times.
The Bafana Bafana contingent is due to arrive in Nigeria later on Wednesday for the Friday clash.
