Orlando Pirates coaches will not take credit for their players in Bafana Bafana squad - Davids

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Three Buccaneers stars were included by coach Hugo Broos in the squad to do duty in the upcoming international assignments

Orlando Pirates interim co-coach Fadlu Davids has refused to accept plaudits for helping some of their players to earn South Africa national team call-ups.

Striker Tshegofatso Mabasa as well as midfielders Vincent Pule and Goodman Mosele made it into the Bafana Bafana final 23-man squad for back-to-back 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Ethiopia.

South Africa will visit Ethiopia for the October 9 fixture, before hosting Walia Ibex three days later.

With the three Pirates players included, Davids says he, together with his co-coach Mandla Ncikazi, will not take credit for that.

“In terms of the national team call-ups, we are extremely happy for Mabasa, Pule and Mosele to get the call-ups,” said Davids as per iDiski Times.

“But us as coaches we cannot take credit for that, you know. You work on the team, we work on team cohesion and they are pieces of our puzzle.

“Huge credit to the players. Yes, they are part of the process what coach Mandla and I are putting in place step by step and they are in the process but how they’ve applied themselves deserves 100% a call-up.”

In the previous World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Ghana, Pirates had no player considered by Bafana coach Hugo Broos.

Only foreign players, goalkeeper Richard Ofori, attackers Deon Hotto, Frank Mhango and Terrence Dzvukamanja were picked by their respective national teams.

But previously in a Bafana international friendly match against Uganda, Innocent Maela and Thabang Monare were called up but the latter could not play due to injury. Davids, however, believes there are also other Buccaneers players who deserve to be selected for South Africa duty by Broos in the future.

“Yes they have been doing well but there are lots of other players also doing well and should get a look in the near future. So credit to those players, they’ve worked hard,” Davids said.

The Pirates coach took time to focus on Mabasa as he justified the striker’s national team inclusion.

“A long time for Pirates, being part of the last season without having a true number 9 and Mabasa has come in and given us that focal point,” said Davids.

In their World Cup qualifying campaign, Bafana lead Group G a point better than Ghana and Ethiopia, while Zimbabwe anchor the standings.

2021-09-29 18:00:03

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