Pitso Mosimane has wasted little time making his mark on Bafana Bafana, and his first preliminary squad has already given supporters plenty to debate.
The biggest eyebrow raiser has to be Thabang Matuludi. The Polokwane City defender has not played a single competitive minute this season, yet his name is on Mosimaneβs preliminary list. That is difficult to overlook when national team selection is so often linked to current form, regular football and match sharpness. There is no argument that Matuludi has ability, but the timing of his inclusion is certainly open to question.
Ricardo Goss is another selection likely to get people talking. The goalkeeper has played only a few games this season, yet Mosimane has still decided that he belongs in the Bafana picture. Again, it does not necessarily mean the coach has made the wrong call, but it does raise a fair question about what is carrying the most weight in these selections. Is it recent performances, previous experience, tactical requirements or simply the coachβs confidence in the player?
That question becomes even more interesting when you look at Mosimaneβs coaching history. He has never been the type to make decisions simply because they are popular, and he has built his reputation on trusting his football judgement. If he believes a player can perform at international level, he is unlikely to leave that player out simply because supporters are demanding somebody else. That approach can work brilliantly, but it can also leave a coach under serious pressure when the results do not follow.
And that is where the Hugo Broos comparison starts to make sense. Broos faced plenty of criticism during his Bafana tenure over selections that did not always appear to follow the obvious form-based route. He stuck to his ideas, backed players he believed in and eventually produced results that made many supporters reconsider their criticism. Mosimane could now be heading down a similar road, where his selections are based as much on what he sees in a player as what that player has done recently for his club.
The problem for Mosimane is that reputations do not win AFCON qualifiers. If Matuludi gets the opportunity and delivers, Mosimane will be praised for seeing something others missed. But if the lack of competitive football shows, the selection will come back under the microscope immediately. The same applies to Goss and every other player whose inclusion raises questions over current form or playing time.
It must be remembered that this is still a preliminary squad, so changes can be made before the final team is confirmed. Even so, the conversation has already started, and that is unlikely to change. Mosimane has inherited a Bafana team carrying serious expectations, and every decision he makes will be measured against one simple question: is it helping South Africa win?
For now, the biggest question remains unanswered: WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE SELECTING ON – CURRENT FORM, FITNESS, EXPERIENCE, TACTICAL SUITABILITY OR THE COACHβS EYE? Matuludi has not kicked a competitive ball this season, Goss has seen limited action, and yet both are in contention.
Maybe Mosimane is seeing something the rest of us are not. If so, theΒ qualifiers will give him the perfect opportunity to prove it.
Could this be Pitso Mosimaneβs version of Hugo Broos 2.0? π
Full Squad:
