Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has offered Royal AM star Victor Lestoalo hope after his exclusion from the 23-man squad set to face France and Guinea.
The 28-year-old is the highest-scoring South African in the top-flight this season with 11 goals in 18 games but was surprisingly dropped from the final selection heading to Europe this month.
Baroka target-man Evidence Makgopa has scored two in 19 games but at the age of 21, he’s touted as the future of the national team, while Fagrie Lakay, Lyle Foster, Percy Tau and Bongokuhle Hlongwane who are all based abroad make up the rest of the front-line.
“We’re playing friendly games and I will try some things, I know what Victor can do, I know his qualities, he’s not really at his best shape, I’ve seen the last few games, he’s not the Victor Letsoalo before Christmas, he doesn’t have the same quality at the moment,” Broos said on SABC Sport.
“It’s normal, you can’t play the whole season at the very highest level, it’s always here and then down and I think Victor at the moment he’s down – so it’s an opportunity not to take him now to give chances to others and I get the opportunity to see them.
“So I leave him out, it’s because he’s not in the best shape and because it’s friendlies and I want to try some other players to see how good they are. So I don’t think he needs to be sad about that, I know him and I’m sure he’ll be back in June.”
Letsoalo who’s been subject of interest of Kaizer Chiefs in recent months trails Mamelodi Sundowns striker Peter Shalulile by four goals for the Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot award.
