Ongoing debate over the number of Mamelodi Sundowns players in Bafana squad

Bafana Bafana defender Khuliso Mudau says the camaraderie among Mamelodi Sundowns’ players and their familiarity with a heavy schedule augurs well for the national team.

Sundowns’ players yet again dominated the Bafana squad during this Fifa break, with coach Hugo Broos calling up six players for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Mudau, Ronwen Williams, Mothobi Mvala, Themba Zwane, Teboho Mokoena and Aubrey Modiba all made the Belgian’s 23-man squad.

The sextet haven’t been bystanders as well, as they all started when Bafana beat Benin 2-1 in their opener at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday. And to crown off their involvement, Mudau scored his first international goal in a brilliant team move that seemed to be all but cooked up on the training grounds of Chloorkop.

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Benin’s coach Gernot Rohr lauded the performance of Sundowns players, arguing that they are the building blocks of the national team. Broos, though, has since debated his counterpart’s argument, saying all the players in his team do their part in ensuring that Bafana are a formidable force.

The debate has boiled over to social media, with many saying Sundowns’ continental and domestic dominance is what has carried Bafana, while others agree with Broos.

Mudau, speaking to the Safa media department from Butare, Rwanda, where Bafana will face The Wasps in their second World Cup qualifier this afternoon, gave his opinion on the debate.

“I think it helps a lot (that we know each other very well). If you check the national teams of Belgium or France, those players played together from a young age,” he said. “I think it also gives us confidence when you play with the players that you are playing with at club level. So, I think it does help, to be honest.”

Bafana arrived in Butare in the wee hours of Monday morning, having taken a long flight to Kigali before setting off on a three-hour bus ride to get to their destination. But that was an all-too-familiar sight for the Brazilians who are accustomed to juggling their domestic and continental schedules, which results in them playing in six different competitions in one season.

“We play every Wednesday and Saturday, so I can say that I’m used to back-to-back games. It’s part of our jobs, to be honest,” Mudau added.

Mihlali Baleka