Broos aims to qualify for Afcon in Uganda

Bafana coach advises Tau to seek gametime away from Ahly

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos wants to seal the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualification in Uganda, instead of waiting for the home game against South Sudan, banking on the camaraderie within the squad.

Bafana need at least three points from their last two games against Uganda and South Sudan to qualify for next year's Afcon in Morocco. Broos's men are second in Group K on eight points, two behind Uganda, who they face in their penultimate pool phase clash in Kampala next Friday (3pm). Bafana will entertain South Sudan at Cape Town Stadium in their last Group K match, four days later.

“Those two games are very important. We qualify already in Uganda if we win, but if we don't, then we have to do it against South Sudan. We will try to win the first game in Uganda so that we come back with qualification so we have a relaxed game against South Sudan,'' Broos said at a presser to announce his 23-man squad for these two games at SABC headquarters in Auckland Park on Thursday.

“It's important for me that I can count on nearly always the same players because everyone knows how we work and everyone knows what we ask in a game. So, there's no adaptation.

We will try to win the first game in Uganda so that we come back with qualification so we have a relaxed game against South Sudan.Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos

“You always create a friendship among the players if they are always together. Sage [Stephens] is the only new one ... okay Ricardo [Goss, his usual third-choice keeper] is injured, so we had to choose another keeper and I think Sage deserves to be here because he's been fantastic with Stellenbosch. I am sure he'll adapt very quickly with this group.''

Broos again snubbed his deputy skipper Percy Tau, reasoning he was struggling with game time at his club Al Ahly. The Bafana coach advised Tau to leave the Egyptian giants to get his mojo back.

“You know Percy Tau doesn't play at the moment ... he's always on the bench. The environment for him in Al Ahly isn't positive. I don't think it's the right moment for Percy to come to Bafana but that doesn't mean he'll never come again. I hope that he can change the club to be in a more positive environment,'' Broos said.

Full squad

Keepers: Williams (Sundowns), Chaine (Pirates), Stephens (Stellenbosch)

Defenders: Mobbie (SuperSport), Dortley (Chiefs), Sibisi (Pirates), Ngezana (FCSB, Romania), Basadien (Stellenbosch), Mvala, Mudau, Modiba (all Sundowns)

Midfielders: Mokoena, Aubass (both Sundowns), Le Roux (Värnamo, Sweden), Mbatha (Pirates)

Forwards: Mayambela (Limassol, Cyprus), Appollis (Polokwane), Maswanganyi, Makgopa, Mofokeng (all Pirates), Mokwana (Espérance, Tunisia), Rayners, Morena (both Sundowns)

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