In a surprising turn of events, Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos announced a 36-member provisional squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria and Zimbabwe, notably omitting the DStv Premiership's top goal scorer, Tshegofatso Mabasa.
The decision has sparked widespread debate, with former Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana defender Edward Magents Motale expressing his astonishment in an exclusive interview with Soccer Laduma.
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Motale, a legend of South African football and captain of the 1995 CAF Champions League-winning Pirates team, found it inconceivable that the nation's leading marksman would be overlooked for national duty.
"I have never seen such a thing in my life. This is a miracle my brother! How do you leave out your country's top goalscorer out of the national team? I didn't believe it when I saw the squad. I thought it's the old one but then I realised that it's the one to play against Nigeria and Zimbabwe," Motale told the Siya crew.
"I don't really understand. It's surprising. I don't know what the coach was thinking. I have seen him watch Orlando Pirates games and has seen Mabasa score game in game out but then he leaves him out. Why? I don't understand seriously. There should be something wrong here," Motale lamented, highlighting the puzzling nature of the selection.
Adding to the controversy is the inclusion of another Pirates striker, Evidence Makgopa, who has been sidelined due to injury. Motale questioned the selection criteria, emphasizing the importance of form in national team call-ups.
"How do you leave Mabasa out and then call up Makgopa? Does that make sense to you? I don't think so. When Mabasa was playing and scoring Makgopa was out injured. What's the criteria of selecting these players mainly if you look at what Mabasa has been doing? He is on form. You have to select the players based on form. It's really unfortunate what has happened here," Motale added, voicing his concerns over the squad composition.
As South Africa gear up to play Nigeria and Zimbabwe in the World Cup 2026 qualifiers next month, the omission of Mabasa from the Bafana squad remains a contentious issue. Mabasa's prolific scoring record in the domestic league has made him a prime candidate for selection, and his absence has left fans and former players alike questioning the rationale behind the coaching staff's decisions. With the qualifiers on the horizon, the debate over Mabasa's exclusion underscores the challenges and complexities of national team selection.
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