Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos feels Orlando Pirates playmaker Patrick Maswanganyi has the qualities to fill the boots of Themba Zwane.
Maswanganyi has thrust himself into the spotlight in the last few days after scoring against Uganda and South Sudan as Bafana Bafana won 2-0 and 3-0 respectively.
The Pirates midfielder started from the bench in Kampala on Friday but his goal earned him a start against South Sudan on Tuesday, slotting into the No.10 role that has become synonymous with Zwane.
Tito made Broos happy with his performance
However, with Zwane out with a long-term injury, Maswanganyi has been termed as a possible replacement and Broos feels the Pirates man has what it takes to take over from ‘Mshishi.’
“I’m very happy with the performance of Patrick. I said it already before we need to look for someone who can replace Themba Zwane,” Broos told the media.
“Unfortunately, we have to do it earlier. I wanted Themba to be with us now because I know how important he is for the team but what Patrick showed today, yeah, makes me happy. It’s not really what we want but I asked him to play differently than at [Orlando] Pirates.
Will Patrick Maswanganyi replace Themba Zwane?
“He has the potential, otherwise, I shouldn’t select him so with his game today [Tuesday] also on Friday he scored, today [Tuesday] he scored that will give him a boost of confidence and I am happy with his performance today but he still has to improve.
“He still needs to play, give passes which is very important for us and he can, I’m sure he can but he needs a little bit of time, in the game today he did what I asked. I’m happy with his performance.”
Zwane suffered an Achilles injury while turning out for Bafana Bafana against Congo in October and he will be out for up to five months.
However, at 35, South Africa still need to find a long-term replacement for the Mamelodi Sundowns star and Maswanganyi is among those tipped to take over.
