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‘Sometimes you need a sangoma next to you’ – Pitso Mosimane

Pitso Mosimane faces a big decision over the right-back position
Pitso Mosimane faces a big decision over the right-back positionSAFA

One of the big decisions for new Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane will be whether to play the ultra-attacking Kamogelo Sebelebele at right-back or the more defence-minded Thabang Matuludi against Guinea in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Saturday.

With Khuliso Mudau injured over the long-term, Mosimane needs a solution for a position that does not have all that much experience in depth. 

Thapelo Morena could be another option, but he too has barely played of late.

Sebelebele has been in good form for Orlando Pirates this season but is more of a wing-back, while Matuludi played his first minutes of the campaign for Mamelodi Sundowns against Al Ahli at the weekend.  

“Sometimes you need to have a little bit of a sangoma next to you, right? To predict and tell you what you do and I know that, somewhere, somehow, someone's going to say, ‘why are you picking a player who's not playing, right?’,” Mosimane told a press conference.

“We did our research. I've watched him (Matuludi). I know he's been training the whole preseason. He has played few friendly games in the preseason. 

“It's important that the players must know that if they train and they're doing things we are watching, we know what's happening. We don't just arrogantly choose a Matuludi because we want to put him in. 

“Unfortunately, as a coach, you know how it is. In our jobs you've got to make choices before, right? But for football fans they are wiser after. If it was right or wrong, and if it's wrong, we know that we're going get a grilling. And if you are right … that's why we are coaches. 

“So, yeah, we did our research, I've followed Matuludi all the way. I don't want to be sounding smart here, but Matuludi was at the World Cup, right? He was already there, the previous coach (Hugo Broos) had him in the squad.

“And now he played a cup final on Saturday (for Sundowns), and I think it was a decent performance to show that he's a decent player, but he needs to fight for the position,” added Mosimane.

Bafana also have an away fixture against Eritrea in neutral Cairo on September 26 and a friendly against Egypt at the same venue on October 4.