Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has explained why he called up Orlando Pirates duo Miguel Timm and Monnapule Saleng to the senior national team.
The two Buccaneers have been instrumental in their side’s upswing in form this season, helping them to lift the MTN8 trophy this past weekend.
As a consequence, Broos called up the Pirates duo into his final 23-man squad to face Mozambique and Angola on 17 and 20 November.
The Belgian tactician explained that Timm has all the qualities of a player he had been looking for for his squad.
“He deserves it, he had very good performances with his team,” he said during the squad announcement on SABC.
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“Like I said, we’re looking every week for the performances of some players and sometime you follow some players a little bit more than others because you want to see.
“I think he deserves it, he deserves to be with us. He is also a leader on the field, which is important too.
“The biggest quality he has, he is a player who stays in his position. That’s something that I looked [for] several months after such a player in that position.
“He really is a defensive midfielder. Sometimes you see him do offensive actions but he is always there, when they lose the ball, he recuperates many balls also, because he is always there, he’s always in front of his defense and this is what I liked about a defensive midfielder.
“He recuperates the ball, he has a good passing also, he is also there, he can build up. He has the qualities. It’s up to him now on a higher level to prove if he can do it.”
Broos was also full of praise for Saleng, who burst onto the scene under Jose Riveiro this season.
“What he did the last month was amazing. Very strong on the right side, he scores goals,” he adde.d
“We know Saleng also from last season when he was playing with the Olympics [Cosafa Cup]. But then it was less with him, I didn’t see him anymore.
“Now, he is back again and you saw his qualities. He is fast and can take on a man on the wings and he can score.
“I think we have to give him a chance and can do it on that level.”
