Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos heaped praise on midfielder Sipho Mbule, who has reinvented himself in his second stint with the South African national team.
After securing qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 3-0 win over Rwanda, Broos spoke about how Mbule has matured and proven himself in the Bafana Bafana jersey.
Broos was appointed as Bafana Bafana head coach in May 2021 and selected Mbule for South Africa’s World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Ghana in September 2021.
Mbule played 12 minutes against Zimbabwe and was on the bench against Ghana.
The midfielder was then not selected for the South African national team until September 2025, when he was called up as an injury replacement for his Orlando Pirates’ teammate Patrick Maswangany. iHe started in all four of Bafana Bafana’s final 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers and has cemented himself as an integral part of the Bafana squad.
“Sipho [Mbule] was with us from the first day I was here. And immediately I saw what a good player he was. But Sipho had other interests than football. And after a few times, I didn’t call him anymore,” said Broos, following the win over Rwanda.
Due to Broos’ past experience with Mbule, the former Belgian international was apprehensive to give the midfielder another chance. The coach stated that he spoke with Mbule upon selecting him, telling the player it would be his final chance to prove himself within the national team setup.
“So when we were looking for a replacement [for] Temba Zwane, okay, we tried Patrick [Maswanganyi], and then, yeah, we were talking about Sipho. I said, ‘Yeah, but Sipho, you see how he’s playing’. He had a good moment at Sekhukhune, but then it was again like that. So we talked about him, Helman [Mkhalele] and [I], and we said, ‘Okay, we will give him a chance.’ And from the first minute when he came with us, I called him. And I said to him, ‘Listen, man, this is your second chance. After this, it’s finished. It’s up to you. I give you a chance. If you don’t grab them with your two hands, it’s done. You will not ever be with the Bafana Bafana as long as I’m coach.But don’t forget, there is an AFCON in December and maybe a World Cup in July next year. Do you want to be there?’ He said yes. I said, ‘Okay, show me, show me’.”
Mbule certainly stepped up and has shown Broos his abilities and worth with the chance he was given.
“I never [doubted] his football qualities, but you saw how he’s fighting, how he’s running. And if you have then the talent of Sipho, then he can be very happy as a coach. And I told him after the game, I said, ‘You grabbed your chance’.”
