Hugo Broos explains why he left three players on the waiting list for the final AFCON 2025 squad! | OneFootball

Mduduzi Shabalala, Iqraam Rayners and Thabo Moloisane are the names that have been placed on the waiting list.

Hugo Broos explains why he left three players on the waiting list for the final AFCON 2025 squad!

As he unveiled his final 25-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations, Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos delivered a crucial message to three players left just outside the list. Mduduzi Shabalala, Iqraam Rayners, and Thabo Moloisane have been instructed to stay match-ready, positioned as the immediate reinforcements should any player in the traveling party be forced to withdraw from the tournament in Morocco.

The Belgian tactician confirmed that this trio is formally on standby, ready to board a flight at a moment's notice. Emphasizing the necessity of this contingency plan, Broos explained the thinking behind his decision.

("It's very important that we have players who know that if there is something happening with an injury or whatever, we can count on them. We will ask them to stay in shape, to train. To keep in good condition because any moment something can happen and we have to be prepared,") he stated.

Broos further detailed the practical reasons for not taking the extra players to camp initially, highlighting the challenges of managing an overly large training group.“That's why I have selected three players to standby. I don't want to take them with me because then everyday you are with 28 players on training sessions and it's not so easy to work with it.”

His final remarks captured the dual hope surrounding the situation: that his primary squad remains intact, but that the standby players might still get their chance."Let's hope that we don't need them because that will mean we have a problem. In the other way, I hope there will be a possibility for them to still come to Morocco."

For Shabalala, Rayners, and Moloisane, the dream of AFCON participation remains alive, hinging on a phone call that could summon them from standby to the heart of the action.