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Ngezana’s Injury Concern Ahead Of World Cup Qualifiers

  • February 3, 2025
  • 2 min read
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Ngezana’s Injury Concern Ahead Of World Cup Qualifiers

Bafana Bafana defender Siyabonga Ngezana was substituted off in the 50th minute after suffering an injury in FCSB’s 2-2 draw against CFR Cluj on Sunday in the Romanian Superliga ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in March, which raises concerns for coach Hugo Broos.

Belgian mentor Broos, who led South Africa to a third-place finish in the 2023 Africa Cup Of Nations and secured a ticket to the continental showpiece in Morocco later this year, is expected to announce his preliminary squad for the World Cup qualifiers in the next coming weeks.

Bafana will host Lesotho on 19 March before jetting off to face Benin three days later as they aim to book their spot in the global tournament. Broos’ charges are currently in second place with seven points – level with leaders Rwanda and third-placed Benin.

The 72-year-old tactician masterminded wins over neighbors Zimbabwe, and Benin, drew with rivals Nigeria in Uyo, and succumbed to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Rwanda while scoring six goals and conceding five in these encounters.

Now, keen to avoid dropping any further points, Broos will have a conundrum at center-back with the injury scare of the former Kaizer Chiefs defender, who has worked his way into the national team setup since completing his move abroad.

However, while the severity of the injury is unclear at the moment, the Belgian has a large pool of quality players to select from should Ngezana’s injury prove to keep him on the sidelines for an extended period.

The 27-year-old defender has already missed national duties due to injury under Broos after suffering a muscle injury in the 3-0 win against South Sudan in the AFCON qualifiers in November and subsequently saw him miss six games both for club and country combined.

With 26 appearances across all competitions this season, it remains to be seen whether the defender will be available for selection in the upcoming matches as he has been colossal at the back in Romania. Ngezana has won a league title, and a Super Cup with the Romanian giants and helped the Romanian giants to the playoffs of the UEFA Europa League.

Additionally, he was named defender of the 2023/24 season and best foreign footballer in Romania by sports publication Fanatik at the 2024 Romanian Football Gala in December – which is a testament to his outstanding performances at the heart of defense.

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Hlayisani Magoro

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