Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has set certain conditions for Kaizer Chiefs players if they want to get selected into the national team.
Only Rushwin Dortley has been earning national team call-ups in recent matches from Chiefs, with the defender a mainstay in the Bafana Bafana defence, as he played all six matches in their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
However, Dortley has been ruled out for the rest of the season with an injury and there was hope that Thabo Cele, who has impressed since signing for Chiefs in January, would be a possible inclusion into the Bafana Bafana squad.
However, Broos is emphatic and has told Kaizer Chiefs to improve if they have to get their players earning regular national team call-ups.
Broos sets tough conditions for Chiefs players
“You can’t tell already that Chiefs is back,” Broos said as he unveiled his final 23-man squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin.
“I thought so maybe in the beginning of the season but then I don’t know what happened and still they are struggling.
“When I see them play yesterday against Cape Town, you can’t say that everything is alright in that team.
“When the team will be better, or when players will be better, surely, surely I will call up the players from Chiefs. But for the moment I don’t think I have to call them.
How have Amakhosi been performing?
“They are really struggling again in the league and let’s hope, not only for Chiefs, but for all South African football, that next season we have again that big team, that big club that struggles and fights for the championship.”
Chiefs players have been overlooked since Broos took over in 2021 with the tactician maintaining that he would only call players whom he feels deserve a place in the national team.
The Glamour Boys continue struggling on the pitch with coach Nasreddine Nabi unable to get them to produce positive results on a consistent basis, lying eighth on the PSL table with 29 points from 21 matches, following Wednesday’s goalless draw against Cape Town City.
