The duo were key players for the Southern African giants’ during the team’s successful 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign
South Africa head coach Hugo Broos has indicated that Themba Zwane and Keagan Dolly could be recalled to the Bafana Bafana squad next month.
Bafana are set to play their last two 2022 Fifa World Cup qualification Group G matches against Zimbabwe and Ghana as they look to finish at the top of the group and progress to the next round of qualifying.
Mamelodi Sundowns playmaker Zwane and Kaizer Chiefs winger Dolly were regulars in the national team before Broos was appointed Bafana coach in May this year – replacing local tactician Molefi Ntseki.
The two players have been influential for their clubs with Dolly having grabbed a brace as Chiefs thumped Chippa United 4-0 last weekend, while Zwane also scored twice in Sundowns’ 2-2 draw against DRC side AS Maniema Union.
Broos explained his team selection criteria as he has been on a mission to refresh and rebuild the national team along with his two assistants Cedomir Janevski and Helman Mkhalele.
“You have to know I started here with nothing. I came here at a bad moment, at the end of the season. You couldn’t see games anymore, the league was finished,” Broos told The Citizen.
“Luckily there was the Cosafa Cup and the Olympics, so I saw those, and already had much information. Helman also helped me a lot in the first months.
“He told me about players, their mentality, everything, even then we didn’t have so much. So the first selection was ‘ok, we’ll take this one, and this one, and we will see.”
Broos stated that he has been following Dolly and Zwane with the Belgian tactician expected to announce his squad for the crucial matches against Zimbabwe and Ghana soon.
“So now we try to improve, we are at league games every week. We were in Durban [for Arrows versus Sundowns on Wednesday] to see players we didn’t know, that we didn’t see … before,” he added.
“The door is not shut for anyone. The day I want a better player, I will take them and we did that in the last squad with Mose Lebusa (though he was ultimately injured) and Sifiso Hlanti.
“In every camp we evaluate the team and say ‘ok, there we have to have a bit more quality.’ Those names [Dolly and Zwane], we are following, so who knows, maybe they will be in the squad [for Zimbabwe and Ghana].”
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