Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has revealed the details of his meeting with Khuliso Mudau in an attempt to solve the defender's dispute with Mamelodi Sundowns.
South Africa will be without Mudau for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Nigeria on 5 and 9 September respectively. He was not named in the final 23-man squad mainly due to not having trained or played a competitive match since the FIFA Club World Cup in July.
The defender is understood to have downed tools over a contractual dispute with Sundowns, and although he returned to training this week, is unlikely to be match-fit at this stage.
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Despite the omission, Broos is under no illusions about the 30-year-old's quality, ranking him as the best right back in the country, and further revealing he had spoken to both the club and Mudau in a bid to help the two parties find middle ground.
"I got the agreement (permission) of the coach of Sundowns that I could have a meeting with Khuliso," revealed the Belgian on Thursday.
"So, I had a meeting with Khuliso, and I told him he was right in some things, but he was not right in other things. Like, for example, not going to training. You don’t solve a problem by not going to training, even when there’s a disagreement between you and the club.
"This is an obligation of a player.
"If you don’t play, that is something else. You can then, ‘Okay, I won’t play until the problem is solved,’ but you have to go to training.
“So, I think he’s training again, and I hope, as soon as possible, I hope that the problem is solved. He’s the best right-back in this country and one of the best right-backs in Africa, so it’s difficult for me not to have him in my team.
"So, it’s a duty for the Bafana Bafana coach to also help solve a problem like that," explained the straight-talking tactician.
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With interest from abroad fended off by the Tshwane giants, Mudau is now understood to be in talks over a new contract with the club.
Zuko Mdunyelwa has been called up as a replacement in the national team, while Nyiko Mobbie will also add some experience at right-back.
Photo: Victor Ihechi/Gallo Sport
