Head coach Hugo Broos admitted difficulty in leaving out DStv Premiership top goalscorer Khanyisa Mayo from the Bafana Bafana squad for an upcoming AFCON qualifier against Morocco.
On Thursday, Broos announced his final 23-man squad after trimming it down from an initial 32-man preliminary squad named at the end of May.
One of the major surprises from the final squad was the absence of Mayo, whose 12 league goals this season are the joint-highest in the Premiership alongside Sundowns' Peter Shalulile.
READ | Hugo Broos names latest Bafana squad to take on Morocco
Although it is clear from his squad that the Belgian mentor has opted to go for the tried and tested, he struggled to explain the Mayo absence.
"You have to make decisions and you have to make choices, sometimes the choices are difficult also for me," Broos told journalists on Thursday.
"Should I take Mayo, should I take [Monnapule] Saleng or should I take another striker? You take a little bit of a chance on what can he or what can he cannot do or what can the other one do.
"At the end it was Mayo we didn't choose. But it had nothing to do with him not showing enough at the pre-camp because towards the end of the season he was very good. He started scoring again for his team.
"But yes, sometimes you can't explain why you really choose that player or why you don't choose that player and again, my choices are starting to be a difficult sometimes.
"He deserves to be with us but I can only select 23 players.
Khanyisa Mayo may have scored the best brace in the #DStvPrem this season in Cape Town City's 2-2 draw with Gallants ?? pic.twitter.com/IkMOeYaL80
— SuperSport Football ?? (@SSFootball) March 14, 2023
However, Broos also insisted that the players would very likely get an opportunity during friendlies in September and October.
"I have a team now, not of 23 players but of 30 or 35, I can choose that will not change so much anymore in the next months," Broos added.
"This is what I wanted, to have a pool and to make decisions and know who to take and the guys also who come in know how we work and what I ask from them."
Meanwhile, the clash against Morocco will be played at FNB Stadium. Kick-off is at 17:00.
You must be Sign In to post and read comments.
Click here to register: Sign In