Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos is thrilled that he now has an array of left-footed central defenders to choose from after struggling with the issue in his early spell with the national team.
Broos lamented over the lack of left-footed defenders in South Africa that would have allowed him to have balance in central defence, forcing him to play two right-footed players.
However, in recent years, there has been an emergence of young left-footed centre-backs such as Kaizer Chiefs’ Rushwin Dortley, TS Galaxy’s Kulumani Ndamane, Mbekezeli Mbokazi of Orlando Pirates and Samukelo Kabini, who is set to join Norwegian club Molde.
Broos’s options limited for Lesotho & Benin
Dortley has become a key figure, playing all six 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, but he will not be involved in this month’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin as he has undergone knee surgery that will keep him out for the rest of the season.
That had seen Broos call up Ndamane but he does not have a passport therefore limiting the coach’s options for this month’s fixtures although he is excited for the future.
“That makes me happy [to have these young players] because we’re looked a long, long time to have left-footed central defenders, we had always [Mothobi] Mvala, [Grant] Kekana, all right-footed players playing there,” Broos said when asked about the left-footed emerging centre-back options.
Can Bafana cope without left-footed defenders?
“Now recently, we’ve had Dortley and now he’s injured for the rest of the season – we have Ndamane, this one doesn’t have a passport, let’s hope next time we can have all those left-footed central defenders. It would help us also.”
South Africa face Lesotho at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane on Friday March 21 before travelling to Benin four days later.
Bafana Bafana are joint top with Rwanda and Benin on seven points in Group C with Lesotho on five, Nigeria have three while Zimbabwe are bottom with two points.
