'I am sure they (Fifa) were also influenced by European clubs to change the dates,' said the Bafana head coach.
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has hit out at world footballing body Fifa for the change in date over when clubs are obliged to release their players for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals.
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The tournament will take place in Morocco from December 21 to January 18, and originally all clubs were obliged to release their players by December 8, just under two weeks before the competition kicks off.
Fifa change player release date
Fifa, however, have now changed that date to December 15. This means that in Bafana’s case, defensive midfielder Sphephelo Sithole, forward Shandre Campbell and striker Lyle Foster will only be available after this weekend. Defender Siyabonga Ngezana is also only set to arrive after Romanian giant FCSB’s Europea League clash with Feyenoor on Wednesday.
“I am wondering what countries like Morocco and Cameroon and the Ivory Coast and Senegal and Mali, who only have players playing abroad, are going to do,” said Broos.
“Morocco will get their players on the 15th and six days later they play their opening game. It shows again what Fifa thinks about Africa. I am sure they were also influenced by European clubs to change the dates.”
Foster’s Burnley will play Fulham at home on Saturday before the striker is released to join Bafana. Sithole’s Tondela will also play on Saturday at Nacional in the Portuguese Primeira Liga before the defensive midfielder is allowed to join the Bafana camp.
Campell’s Club Brugge play Dender in the Belgian top flight on Sunday.
While Broos understood the delay in the release of Foster and Sithole,, he was not so accepting of Club Brugge’s decision to keep Campbell in their ranks.
“The day he (Campbell) got the call-up, we had a latter from Brugge saying he will only be released on the 15th,” added Broos.
Bafana’s Broos – ‘I think that is a bit bitter’
“I think that is a bit bitter. You can do that with a player who is regularly in the first team. But Shandre is always on the bench, sometimes he is not even on the bench or he comes on for the last five minutes. So I am asking why keep that player in the club, when he has the opportunity to prepare with the national team for an AFCON?”
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West London English Championship side Queens Park Rangers have released right back Tylon Smith to join up with the Bafana squad.
Bafana, meanwhile, have confirmed they will play a friendly against Ghana at Dobsonville Stadium on Tuesday, a day before the leave for Morocco.
South Africa’s first AFCON Group B match is against Angola in Marrakech on December 22.
