I could have taken him to AFCON! Broos told he made a mistake by leaving Rayners

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos recently named his arsenal ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) to be played in Morocco from December 21 to January 18.

South Africa have been placed in Group B alongside the seven-time champions Egypt, Angola and Zimbabwe. After finishing third in the 2023 edition, South Africa hope to go all the way and win their first title since 1996 when they hosted the biennial competition.

In his Bafana Bafana squad, Broos opted to put Iqraam Rayners, Mduduzi Shabalala and Thabo Moloisane on the standby list. A majority of South Africans had expected to see the Mamelodi Sundowns in the main list, but ut wasn’t the case.

Masandawana legend Hlompho Kekana is among those who feel that Rayners has what it takes to dekiver for South Africa in Morocco.

Rayners is on standby, but…

“Well, if I’m a football fan I was going to ask questions like Iqi [Iqraam] Rayners with nine goals in all competitions, one would fancy him to be in that Bafana Bafana squad,” Kekana said on SABC Sport’s Soccerzone?

“But we are talking about Mr Broos here a man who is not scared to make that call of selecting the players that he wants. Of course, Iqi Rayners for me I fancy him to be part of this team that is going to AFCON.

“I can’t say disappointment because he’s on standby. [But] with the numbers that he’s got in terms of the number of games that he’s already played in all competitions, nine goals, that’s huge compared to the strikers that he’s going to be competing with in that Bafana squad.

“When you look at Lyle Foster’s goals, I’m saying the number of goals that he’s already scored already this year allows him to be part of the squad,” he concluded.