Mosimane Speaks On ‘Public Enemy No. 1’ Yanela Mbuthuma
Pitso Mosimane has drawn a line under the noise around Yanela Mbuthuma and put the Pirates striker in his first Bafana Bafana squad.
Speaking during the unveiling of his final squad for the AFCON qualifiers later this month, the new Bafana coach defended Mbuthuma’s selection. Asked about the backlash that has followed Mbuthuma, Mosimane did not blink.
“Public enemy?” he said. “Well, I don’t know what other people are saying and I don’t know why people are branding him as an enemy. I think he is a national team player. He scores goals for Orlando Pirates,” said Mosimane.
“I think you’ve seen him score goals at Orlando Stadium and, yes, maybe he is not scoring as much as you want, but he does score goals. He’s got the physical presence also and he’s a hungry man, so give him a chance.”
Lyle Foster and Evidence Makgopa are not in the party. That leaves a door open for Mbuthuma in the window that starts against Guinea at Orlando Stadium on 26 September.
Mosimane kept the World Cup core and added new names. Foster, Tshepang Moremi, Cemran Dansin, Tshepho Mashiloane and Ronaldo van Neel were among those cut from the earlier 35.