Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has applauded 21-year-old Khulumani Ndamane for his standout performance during his international debut against Tanzania in Polokwane on Friday.
Despite the youthful side being held to a goalless draw by the Taifa Stars, Ndamane’s contributions on the pitch did not go unnoticed, earning him the coveted ‘Player of the Match’ award.
Ndamane was in the news earlier this year when he was named in the squad to play in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin in March. However, a hiccup arose when it was discovered that the TS Galaxy defender did not possess a valid passport, and he was dropped.
Fast forward a few months, and the 21-year-old Ndamane made his national team debut on Friday, showcasing his determination and talent.
Broos was unequivocal in his admiration for the young defender’s display. “It means that he made a good performance,” he stated after the match, underscoring the importance of Ndamane’s debut in the context of a largely inexperienced team.
The Belgian coach, known for his discerning eye, remarked, “I don’t always agree with the Man of the Match, sometimes when I’m seeing the Man of the Match, it was someone else.
“Today, when we see our team, you can see that Khulumani made a good performance for his first time in the team, and he deserves it.”
Khulumani’s debut is not only a personal milestone but also a reflection of the new direction Broos is taking with the team by involving younger players. As Bafana Bafana prepares for future challenges on the international stage, talents like Ndamane may very well play a pivotal role in the evolution of South Africa’s football narrative.
“I said before that little by little, Bafana is getting old. So we must look at the future, and if you look at the performance from the young guys against Tanzania this evening, you can only be happy,” said Broos.
In the absence of the USA-bound Mamelodi Sundowns players, most of the squad was from the Premiership runners-up club Orlando Pirates. Broos said, initially, the team for the Tanzania clash included eight Pirates players.
“I remember that the first team we selected when the XI were on paper, we said, oh, s*&#, there are seven or eight players from Pirates, and we decided that we are not going to do that. So, we needed to find a balance. Players like (Simphiwe) Selepe and (Thalente) Mbatha are used to playing together,” said Broos.
“So that helped those guys. Next week it will be (Mbekezeli) Mbokazi and (Nkosinathi) Sibisi. So, we looked at that. So that’s the way we select these teams. The performance against Tanzania will give us more choices in the future, younger choices.”
Tanzania posed numerous challenges, which kept the South Africans at bay, despite their decided possession advantage.
“The opponent (Tanzania) was not easy. They are a team playing behind the ball and then trying, in transition, to be dangerous. I think, as far as I can imagine, there was no (scoring) chance for Tanzania today, nothing, nothing,” said Broos.
“I couldn’t have asked for more, I’m happy with the performance of some players, even very happy. Others could have been better, but again, for the first time, I can’t be too harsh because the goodwill was there.”
Bafana Bafana will continue to build upon this experience as they prepare for their encounter against Mozambique at the same venue on Tuesday night.
