Matthew Booth backs Bafana Bafana AFCON squad to challenge for title

Bafana will face Angola, Egypt and Zimbabwe in Group B later this month as they look to build on the bronze medal they secured in Côte d’Ivoire nearly two years ago. 

Booth shared his thoughts on Broos’ approach and why he believes the squad composition positions them well for another deep run. 

"Yeah, it's fair, pretty balanced and I think it's subjective – everybody's going to have their opinion. The one thing that struck me was at left-back, [Aubrey] Modiba, and I then realised that Kabini actually plays left-back in Norway," said Booth.

"But when he was here in the PSL for TS [Galaxy], I only saw him as a centre-back, so there's good cover there as well, and then in modern day football you can always migrate one of your attacking wingers into a full-back role as well these days.

"And then I'm a little bit sorry for Morena, but he hasn't played enough really – out of the [Mamelodi Sundowns] squad a couple of times and only played nine minutes against Lupopo, and sat on the bench recently in Algeria."

READ: Motale sees shades of 1996 AFCON-winning team in current Bafana

Although not against Broos picking three experienced goalkeepers in Ronwen Williams, Ricardo Goss and Sipho Chaine, Booth noted he would have loved to see U20 rising star Fletcher Smyth-Lowe being given one of the three specialised spots. 

"That was the other thing, although I would have loved to have seen a third-choice goalkeeper being a youngster, maybe one of the U20 goalkeepers, Fletcher Lowe," he added.

"I mean, you don't want to take too many youngsters into a squad or competition of this nature, but I think a third-choice goalkeeper you can take a risk."