Dan Malesela Says Bafana Squad Should Be Dominated By Sundowns

Marumo Gallants head coach Dan “Dance” Malesela says Bafana Bafana should be dominated by Mamelodi Sundowns players since they’re doing well.

Only three Sundowns players appear among 23 men of the South African national team that will battle with Morroco in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Rabat, on 9 June.

“If you have six players from Sundowns that are good to go to the national team, let them go. If you have nine, let them go, Italy was doing it, I mean Spain was doing it, so take them,” Malesela told the media during 30th anniversary of the SA Football Coaches Association.

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“The national team is not a place to start building, you can’t build in a national team you play to win because there’re high competitions and there are positions in the world rankings that are at stake. You need to get ready-made people every time.

“Always look at who’s next, at the players that are performing at that time and play them at the senior national team. We want that success and recognition as a country as well.

Bafana coach Hugo Broos is seemingly adamant about overlooking the so-called”experienced players” as he believes in developing young players for himself. Malesela says you can’t develop at the Bafana level.

“You cannot go and develop players at the national team level. You can’t! You are developing them to go where beyond the national team? They are going to stay there,” added Malesela.

“And don’t talk about 4-5 years, you don’t know what will be happening with these players. What if, for some reason, a young player gets out of hand and misbehaves, and he is out of football, you’ve been building somebody who will be out of football, or they get injured. So get ready-made players now, you build, for now, you have AFCON to qualify for, play for winning, and qualify for the World Cup.”

Many have questioned the snub of Andile Jali and Themba Zwane of Mamelodi Sundowns who have been consistent for so long and considering their experience. However, Broos said he doesn’t see the need to call them.

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He was asked if their experience in the CAF Champions League wouldn’t benefit Bafana. The Belgian coach insisted that Africa’s club continental competition isn’t equal to the nations’ continental football.

“First of all, they don’t play continental football, they play African football,” he said during his announcement on SABC1.

“There is a difference, when you watch UEFA Champions League. When I watch the semi-final Bayern vs Villarreal and when I watch the semi-final Sundowns against Pretoria-or something.

“There is a big difference. There is also a difference when you play that kind of game and when you play Bafana Bafana. The players in Europe are playing a different championship.

“You can’t do everything, in my selection there are not many players who play in European championships but that is for the moment something that is not good for South African football – we don’t have enough players there [in Europe].

“All the teams that we play have players in Europe, look at Morocco.”

“Don’t focus on Jali has five nominations and Zwane has this, but I’m looking through them, I look through them.

“I said it from the beginning and I’ve said it now and I’ll say it in two years when I’m still here, I’m very sorry but I don’t see why I should select Jali or Zwane.”