Rulani makes huge claim on Broos' Bafana AFCON squad selection | OneFootball

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Rulani on Broos' AFCON squad

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South African tactician Rulani Mokwena believes Hugo Broos' Bafana Bafana squad for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) lacked the strength needed for a competition of such stature.

The Belgian coach overlooked the in-form Thembinkosi Lorch and Gift Links, among others, instead giving debut senior call-ups to youngsters Shandre Campbell and Tylon Smith.

Despite securing the Bronze medal at the previous edition in Ivory Coast, Bafana bowed out in the Round of 16 against Cameroon, leaving South African fans disappointed.

Reflecting on the national team's performance, Mokwena, currently leading Algerian champions MC Alger, feels Broos didn't assemble a full-strength squad, which impacted the team's preparation.

“For me, it comes down to preparation and selection. I just believe that for the national team, our best players must be available for such major tournaments, and I don't think we had all our top players in peak form at AFCON,” he told Andile Ncube on SNAWA.

"It's a bit tough to comment because I don't think the team's performance and the entire squad truly reflected our potential or how we can represent ourselves at AFCON.

"I think when we went to the previous AFCON, we arrived with little expectation and not much pressure, but when there's an expectation to perform, you need all your best tools. In this tournament, I feel we weren't fully prepared, and that's just my view."

Broos and his squad will now turn their attention to the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the USA, Mexico, and Canada.