Saint Louis City midfielder Njabulo Blom faces a double blow to stand a chance to feature for Bafana Bafana in the Africa Cup of Nations squad.
Blom was excluded from the previous Bafana camp that played in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Benin and Rwanda.
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Bafana head coach Hugo Broos suggested that Blom is not patriotic enough after his back and forth communication with the national team regarding his reported shoulder injury and that's the reason he did not select him.
The former Kaizer Chiefs midfielder's situation to make the AFCON squad has been made worse by the fact that the Major League Soccer season is currently on its usual winter break and he would not have played any competitive matches since early November, as the MLS will only resume in March next year.
Blom seemingly had an unfortunate incident with Bafana after he told the national team that he had a shoulder injury but later changed his statement that he is actually available, something that disappointed the Belgian coach.
The 23-year-old's agent Rob Moore has given more clarity on the matter and says Blom prematurely informed Bafana team manager Vincent Tseka that he was injured before consulting with St. Louis City's medical department for an official stance on his availability.
"Either Hugo Broos is not getting the right information and therefore he is drawing the incorrect conclusions. Regarding that particular situation of the injury, Njabulo Blom played in Sunday's final league game and during the game, it's not difficult to go look, he was treated with a shoulder injury," Moore said on Metro FM Sports.
"The player after the game was in a lot of pain. He informed Vincent Tseka, the team manager of this fact. Vincent on a Monday quite correctly said 'Get us a report on that'. Blom then travelled back to Saint Louis, on a Tuesday went for a medical test with his club and the medical opinion of the club at the time was 'Njabulo don't worry, this injury should be fine' (by the time of the Bafana camp).
"Based on that, he went back to Vincent Tseka that he actually would be okay and available, he couldn't get hold of him to explain why. I would imagine Hugo Broos was given information by the team manager that was incomplete," he said.
Instead of Blom, Broos selected Stellenbosch midfielder Jayden Adams, who joined Teboho Mokoena of Mamelodi Sundowns, Sibongiseni Mthethwa of Kaizer Chiefs and Portugal-based Sphephelo Sithole in Bafana's midfield.
Other midfielders who will be vying for a spot in the South Africa AFCON squad include Grant Margeman, Luke Le Roux, Miguel Timm, Thabang Monare, Ethan Broos and Mlungisi Mbunjana, who were all previously in the Bafana preliminary squads.
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