War brewing between Hugo Broos, Rhulani Mokwena over ‘injured’ Mamelodi Sundowns players

War brewing between Hugo Broos, Rhulani Mokwena over ‘injured’ Mamelodi Sundowns players

Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos expects eight Mamelodi Sundowns and SuperSport United players to arrive at the team’s base in Algeria on Tuesday evening.

Bafana are in the north African country where they are due to play friendlies against Andorra on Thursday, and Algeria next Tuesday as part of the FIFA Series international friendlies pilot project.

After 30 hours of travel, they arrived in Algeria on Monday to begin preparations for the friendlies, but had to wait for eight players from the two Pretoria clubs.

The players were in action in Nedbank Cup action on Saturday and Sunday, and were given permission by the coach to arrive to camp late.

After Sundowns’ game over the weekend, coach Rhulani Mokwena revealed a number of his stars, including national team captain Ronwen Williams, were struggling with niggles.

“Ronza (Williams) is struggling with a shoulder, and we’ve got a very tough CAF Champions League game. Tebza (Mokeona) is struggling with a knee injury and has had it since Afcon,” Mokwena was quoted in the media earlier this week.

“Ronza has had the shoulder problem since Afcon as well and only now we’ve got Mothobi (Mvala) back, Sailor (Khuliso Mudau) back but we still have got a problem with (Thapelo) Maseko, who got an injury at Afcon.”

However, Broos insisted Bafana’s medical team had not been informed, and he expected the players at camp.

“If they are really injured, they have to inform us … We have a doctor. They know the phone number of the doctor, so why don’t they call us and [say they are injured] and give us a medical report?” Broos said in a press conference on Tuesday.

“They didn’t do it, so that means that they are fit. I can’t go on rumours that they are injured, so give me a medical report and our doctor will decide if they are injured or not.

“I don’t like that they tell things to the press. They have to call us and tells us ‘look, this is the problem with the player and this is the medical report’.

“They didn’t do it, so for me, they are fit. Final,” said Broos, who reiterated that he expected the seven Sundowns players and one from SuperSport at camp.

Broos added he took issue with Mokwena speaking to the media instead of their medical team over the players’ fitness.

Whether this leads to anything bigger remains to be seen as Broos has often not seen eye-to-eye with a number of club coaches, while Mokwena has a number of very public spats with some of his counterparts.

IOL Sport