Celebrated Bafana coach opens up about ‘unfortunate’ star – ‘Shame, he was crying!’

Bafana Bafana midfielder Bathusi Aubaas suffered an injury in the 5-0 win over Eritrea in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier.

The Mamelodi Sundowns star was given a starting berth owing to an injury to Teboho Mokoena. However, the Masandawana player hobbled off with an injury, paving the way for Brooklyn Poggenpoel.

Bathusi Aubaas shattered after being substituted in the first half due to injury. 🇿🇦🔥

Speedy recovery, Bathusi! #ForTheBettor #10BetBafana pic.twitter.com/XvnljkvOQD

— SoccerBeat (@SoccerBeatZA) September 30, 2026

Coach Pitso Mosimane has revealed the 31-year-old was devastated with the situation since he had just returned to the team after missing the 2026 World Cup owing to an injury.

Aubaas broke down!

“Aubaas is one unfortunate player. He missed the World Cup because of injury and he was ready to come on and to play,” Mosimane opened up to the media.

“Again, (he) broke down. Shame, he was crying in the dressing room, but we are there to support him and give him confidence. He is a very good football player. It was his chance to play again because he missed the World Cup. He will soon be back in the national team. We have patience with him,” Mosimane told the media after the match.

“Teboho is out with injury; Aubaas is out with injury. So, we are losing a lot of players in the midfield, but it also gave Brooklyn a chance to play in his debut, and he played very well. He played like he has been playing all the time,” he added.

It is a little unfortunate for Bafana against Egypt

On Sunday, Bafana Bafana face Egypt in an international friendly in Cairo. Mosimane has explained how injuries will affect him and his selection.

“We are a little bit thin against Egypt with central midfielders, and we had to bring Themba Zwane to play in the midfield because I wanted to take Yaya (Sphephelo Sithole) out because he is the only experienced one we are left with. We don’t have Teboho, we don’t have (Thalente) Mbatha, we lost Jayden (Adams), and we don’t have Aubaas. So, it’s a little bit unfortunate for us. We are loaded with wingers and full backs.

“We are happy with five goals, we are happy with three points. Eritrea started very good, very strong. They had a chance. They hit the post, and their number 10 is very dangerous. We had to look after him because he is very important to look after. We saw Eritrea play against Kenya, and they were leading, and Kenya equalised late, so we had to give them the respect that they deserve. I am happy that we won. Two games, six points. Good performance from our boys,” Jingles concluded ahead of the forthcoming back-to-back AFCON qualifiers against Kenya.