Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has defended his decision to include Orlando Pirates captain Nkosinathi Sibisi in the current squad.
The 30-year-old defender has not won the hearts of Buccaneers fans lately following the team’s defeats to Mamelodi Sundowns and Casric Stars.
Against the second division side, Bhodlela missed a penalty, which ultimately saw Pirates crash out of the Nedbank Cup.
Some fans were surprised to see the Pirates defender included in the final 23-man squad to face Panama on 27 and 31 March.
Speaking on SABC Sport, Broos defended his decision to select Sibisi.
“Being under pressure because you missed a penalty is the most ridiculous thing you can ever imagine,” the Bafana coach said.
“He (Sibisi) took his responsibility as the captain of Pirates, and OK, he missed it, but he’s not the first player to miss a penalty… Cape Verde missed five times against us (in the 2024 Afcon quarterfinals in Ivory Coast).
Broos bats for Sibisi
The Bafana said fans who criticised Sibisi knew nothing about football and called social media trash.
“It shows what social media is … it’s trash; it’s just trash. When you put someone under pressure and criticise him because he missed a penalty, then you don’t know anything about football.”
Broos has shown belief in Sibisi for years and was part of the team in the past two Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournaments. Whether Bhodlela will start in the matches against Panama remains to be seen.