Bafana's midfield: Broos still seeking perfect combination to complement Mokoena

It has been 926 days since Hugo Broos was appointed as Bafana Bafana's head coach, and the Belgian has admitted that he is still seeking a solution to his midfield problem.

South Africa set sail on a quest to secure a ticket for the 2026 FIFA World Cup when they kickstart their qualifying campaign with matches against Benin on Saturday at the Moses Mabhida Stadium and Rwanda on Tuesday to finish the second of 10 rounds of games.

Broos announced a 23-man squad for his 13th camp since his awkward unveiling via Zoom on 5 May 2021, and Teboho Mokoena's name is always on that list when announced. In fact, he is essential to how Broos wants his Bafana side to play.

However, he wants midfielders who can complement Bafana's mainstay, Mokoena, in the engine room, which is in dire need of fuel that can inject energy into an area that needs it most, especially if Bafana are going to jump over the World Cup qualification hurdle, which they have not done in over two decades.

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Bafana last played at a World Cup in 2010, but their qualification was a golden ticket which host nations receive after their bid is accepted by FIFA.

The last time Bafana qualified of their own accord was at the 2002 edition.

After the Benin and Rwanda matches, Broos has about six weeks to finalise his squad for the Africa Cup of Nations in January/February in Ivory Coast and while Mokoena's place is a certainty, there's decisions Broos has to consider when it comes to his midfield. 

The 26-year-old Mokoena, often referred to as Tebza, has featured in 17 of Broos' 21 matches in charge, with the four fixtures he missed being due to injury.

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