Hugo Broos has criticised Fifa for delaying Afcon player release dates, leaving SA short-handed ahead of their opener against Angola.
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has criticised world soccer body Fifa for changing the date on which clubs are obliged to release players for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) finals.
According to The Citizen, the tournament will take place in Morocco from December 21 to January 18. Clubs had originally been obliged to release players by Monday, just under two weeks before the competition kicks off.
Fifa, however, has now shifted that date to next Monday. This means defensive midfielder Sphephelo Sithole, forward Shandre Campbell and striker Lyle Foster will only join Bafana after this weekend. Defender Siyabonga Ngezana is also only set to arrive after Romanian giant FCSB’s Europa League clash with Feyenoord today.
Broos questioned how other nations reliant on overseas-based talent would cope.
“I am wondering what countries like Morocco and Cameroon and the Ivory Coast and Senegal and Mali, who only have players playing abroad, are going to do,” said Broos.
“Morocco will get their players on the 15th and six days later they play their opening game. It shows again what Fifa thinks about Africa. I am sure they were also influenced by European clubs to change the dates.”
Clubs hold key Bafana players until weekend
Foster’s Burnley will play Fulham at home on Saturday before he is released. Sithole’s Tondela will also play on Saturday at Nacional in the Portuguese Primeira Liga before he joins Bafana.
Campbell’s Club Brugge play Dender in the Belgian top flight on Sunday.
While Broos understood the delay around Foster and Sithole, he was unhappy with Club Brugge’s stance on Campbell.
“The day he (Campbell) got the call-up, we had a letter from Brugge saying he will only be released on the 15th,” added Broos.
‘I think that is a bit bitter’
“I think that is a bit bitter. You can do that with a player who is regularly in the first team. But Shandre is always on the bench, sometimes he is not even on the bench or he comes on for the last five minutes. So I am asking why keep that player in the club, when he has the opportunity to prepare with the national team for an Afcon?”
West London English Championship side Queens Park Rangers have released right back Tylon Smith to join the Bafana squad.
Friendly arranged before departure
Bafana have confirmed they will play a friendly against Ghana at Dobsonville Stadium on Tuesday, a day before they leave for Morocco.
South Africa’s first Afcon Group B match is against Angola in Marrakech on December 22.
