Broos Explains Maema Snub & Mudau Decision

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has explained his decision to leave in-form Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Neo Maema out of his squad, and why he cut Khuliso Mudau from the preliminary squad for the upcoming double-header against Liberia.

South Africa will face Liberia home and away, with qualification for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations on the line.

Although for the first time since the Belgian tactician took over the spine of Broos’ squad is made up of Sundowns, one absentee has surprised many in the local football fraternity: Neo Maema.

The 27-year-old really has come to life this season since Rulani Mokwena took over as sole head coach of Sundowns.

However, despite calling up 10 Sundowns players into his preliminary squad and eight into the final selection, Maema didn’t make the team, with the Belgian explaining why.

“Yeah for sure, Maema is playing better and better, since last season, we’ve followed Maema but then he was in and out, but now I think his performances are better, they are more stable,” Broos said when asked if he’s on his selection radar.

“So okay, we will see in the future and I hope that my choices in the future will be more difficult every time, then it will mean we have more good players.”

The 27-year-old midfielder has been an ever-present figure at Sundowns this season, scoring six goals and registering four assists in 29 games in all competitions.

Meanwhile, Mudau was one of the 11 players who were cut from the preliminary squad by Broos, with the Belgian tactician explaining he felt Nyiko Mobbie and Thapelo Morena were the better options.

“If you see the selection and you put Mudau on right-back, you have to choose,” he explained, when asked about Mudau’s omission.

“For me, Mobbie never disappointed me, never. And with Morena we have a player who can also play right-back, but who can play also a little bit higher. So we have something more with Morena.””For me, Mobbie never disappointed me, never. And with Morena we have a player who can also play right-back, but who can play also a little bit higher. So we have something more with Morena.

“Mudau is very strong physically, I know it, but maybe we need a little bit more than that and I think that maybe Morena is a little bit stronger defensively than Mudau but he’s maybe a little bit less [strong] offensively than Mudau. So it’s a choice, it’s a choice that I made.”

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Do you think Broos made the right decisions with Maema and Mudau?