Hugo Broos reveals what he told Mbule before Bafana resurgence

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Hugo Broos lifts lid on crunch talk details with Mbule

Photo: Bafana Bafana midfielder Sipho Mbule

Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has revealed the details of the crunch talk that led to Sipho Mbule's revival at the national team.

The 27-year-old midfield Maestro was a regular feature in the South African national team but a series of off-field misconduct saw him get dropped from the squad.

Now, Mbule has returned to the team after catching the Belgian mentor's eye following his move to Orlando Pirates on a free transfer during the off-season.

However, the veteran tactician says he cautioned the player before reinstating him back to the squad, revealing that he took a gamble on him and it has since paid off, with the Bucs star shining on the international stage.

“I could see immediately what a good player Sipho is from the first day I arrived here but he had other interests than football and after a few times I didn't call him anymore. When you see the career of Sipho, he played for Sundowns, he plays for Pirates. He plays for the big teams and see the career he has - that has to be much better,” said Broos.

"So, when we were looking for a replacement of Themba [Zwane], okay we tried Patrick [Maswanganyi] and then we were talking about Sipho. I said, ‘Sipho, you see how he is playing’. He had a good moment in Sekhukhune, but he was again like that [declined]. So, Helman [Mkhalele] and me spoke about him said we will give him a chance.

"From the first minute when he came with us, I called him and I said to him, ‘listen man, this is your second chance, after this it’s finished, it's up to you. I give you a chance, if you don't grab it with your two hands it's done. You will not ever be with Bafana Bafana as long as I am the coach and don't forget there is an AFCON in December and maybe a World Cup in July next year. Do you want to be there? He said, ‘yes’ and I said, ‘okay, show me’.

"I never had doubts about his football qualities but you saw how he is fighting, how he is running, and if you add then the talent of Sipho then you can be very happy as a coach and I told him after the game, I said, ‘you grabbed your chance, congratulations for that'.

Meanwhile, Bafana booked their spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after beating Rwanda 3-0 to top Group C standings on Tuesday.