Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has explained why he did not select Fagrie Lakay in his final 23-man squad for the AFCON despite two key strikers pulling out and why he prefers Orlando Pirates duo Zakhele Lepasa and Evidence Makgopa instead.
Despite not featuring in the 50-man preliminary roster, there were hopes that the Pyramids striker could make the Africa Cup of Nations squad, after Lebogang Mothiba was ruled out with injury and Lyle Foster was declared unavailable by Burnley for medical reasons, as he recovers from his mental health condition.
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However, Lakay did not make it into the final squad, nor was he included as one of the three standby players.
Broos suggested that he was not impressed when he called up Lakay previously and alluded that he is not always playing at his Egyptian club.
"We had Fagrie a few times with the national team. Honestly, the performances of Fagrie were not good so I saw then after that he doesn't always play with Pyramids. Again, this is a choice you make. I made the choice not to take him," Broos explained to the media.
Lakay played 30 games for Pyramids last season and scored ten goals in the league and played eight matches in their CAF Confederation Cup campaign with a return of one goal but was not considered for the friendlies and the Afcon qualifiers campaign.
In the current season, the former Cape Town City striker has already scored two goals in three league starts and has played six games in the CAF Champions League, with one goal.
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In comparison, Lepasa has scored ten goals in 20 appearances for Pirates this season and his teammate, Makgopa has scored four goals in 16 games.
The Belgian tactician went on and explained that the Pirates duo, in spite of their numbers, had the advantage that they have worked with him before.
"I think Zakhele Lepasa showed it already with the national team that he's not so bad as a striker. He scored regularly," Broos said.
"Evidence Makgopa was my striker in the beginning when I was coach of Bafana Bafana, and he did well, too. He's playing now again with Orlando Pirates, he's scoring also. He has confidence. Those are the two I have to choose," he added.
Other strikers in the Bafana squad include Themba Zwane, Oswin Appollis, Mihlali Mayambela and Percy Tau.