Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has showered Orlando Pirates defender Nkosinathi Sibisi with commendation following the national team's recent international friendly matches.
Broos specifically highlighted Sibisi's exceptional leadership and unwavering professionalism, which were on full display when the seasoned defender served as captain during Bafana Bafana's comfortable 2-0 victory over Mozambique on Tuesday, June 10, 2025.
This win at the Peter Mokaba Stadium came after a 0-0 draw against Tanzania at the same venue last Friday.
This international window presented a unique opportunity for Broos to experiment and integrate fresh talent, as he opted not to select any Mamelodi Sundowns players due to their ongoing participation in the prestigious FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
Despite the absence of these regulars, Broos expressed significant satisfaction with the overall performance of the squad, noting the successful integration of several new players alongside familiar faces like Sibisi, Ricardo Goss, Nyiko Mobbie, Sipho Chaine, Fawaaz Basadien, Thalente Mbatha, Oswin Appollis, and Relebohile Mofokeng.
BROOS SPEAKS HIGHLY OF SIBISI
“Leadership is not about always having a big mouth,” said Broos when asked about leadership in the team.
“Sometimes you have captains who talk a lot but those two, Ronwen and even Sibisi, they are not guys who talk a lot. But just the way they are there, gives them respect from everybody.
“Ronwen is Ronwen but maybe nobody saw a captain in Sibisi. He’s with us from the first day I’ve been here. I know this guy and there’s not a better professional than him.
“And because he’s like that and the attitude he has, he has respect from his players. You see that, you don’t hear him [talking too much], ask him, he was here with us for ten days but you can see [his presence as a captain].
“And today [Tuesday] also, it was the right choice to make him a captain and it was because we wanted to have two teams since he didn’t play on Friday.
“I wanted to play him today because of [Mbekezeli] Mbokazi, a 19-year-old in his his first [game for Bafana]. He [Mbokazi] felt good because Sibisi was there. So, again, I made the right choice.”
