Former Orlando Pirates striker Phumudzo Manenzhe has questioned Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos’ decision to start Mamelodi Sundowns defender Nyiko Mobbie at left-back against Zimbabwe on Friday.
Mobbie has not played a single match for his club this season and was therefore a surprising choice at left full-back, especially given that he typically works on the other wing, where Thapelo Morena was deployed.
“Today, I thought of playing Nyiko Mobbie at left-back.” Following the 0-0 tie in Harare, Manenzhe said in the SABC1 studio, “A right-footed player who is a right-back is played at left-back.”
“We did not get that balance on the left-hand side. Don’t we have enough left-backs in the country? That is the question for Hugo Broos when he selected his team.
“Because you have [Amakhosi left-back Sibusiso] Mabiliso on the bench.” He has yet to appear in a game for Kaizer Chiefs. But he’s just returned from the Olympics, where he was a member of the team, the squad. Why don’t you start him now that you’ve chosen him?
“Because what does playing a right-back at left-back do to Mabiliso’s confidence when you’re there and not injured?”
Manenzhe did, however, credit Broos regarding the coach’s selections of the other 10 starters.
“Outstanding team on the pitch. I have to give it to Hugo Broos. An absolutely amazing starting line-up that he has selected. Just that he did not give us balance on the left-hand side,” he continued.
[the_ad id=”2179″]Because Nyiko was struggling, we wanted a natural left-footer on the left side. When he got over the half-way mark and wanted to make a pass…when he saw that he was in a pressure zone and needed to shift the ball from a pressure region to a non-pressure area, he knew he needed a diagonal ball. He lacks the ability to do so since he lacks the left foot.
“I just thought the balance on the left-hand side was what let us down.”
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