Bafana Bafana maestro Zwane surprisingly featured as the number 10 behind Lyle Foster, flanked by Oswin Appollis and Tshepang Moremi, despite limited minutes at club level since returning from injury.
The decision raised a few eyebrows, but Broos was clear about the reasoning behind it.
THEMBA ZWANE EXPERIMENT IN BAFANA BAFANA VS PANAMA
“I think the only surprise is that Themba is in the team, I think when he’s with us we have to let him play and we’ll se how far he is at the moment,” Broos told SABC Sport.
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“There’s still a game in June, but we don’t have so many games to let him play, so it’s important to know where he is physically, technically, football, we know there’s no problem but physically.”
The coach emphasised that the bigger concern was not Zwane’s quality, but his match fitness after a lengthy spell out.
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“He’s not playing much at Sundowns at the moment, so we will not let him play 90 minutes either, I don’t think he can do that, but just to see him play, it’s very important for us.”
Zwane remains one of the most experienced players in the squad and a trusted figure under Broos when fully fit.
EXPERIENCE COUNTS FOR SOUTH AFRICA
The 36-year-old Zwane marked his 52nd appearance for the senior national team in the match, adding to a record that includes 12 goals and three assists.
For Broos, these upcoming fixtures are less about results and more about clarity, especially around key players returning from injury.
Zwane’s involvement, even in limited minutes, gives the technical team a clearer picture ahead of a busy international calendar.
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