Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has hit out at Major Soccer League outfit St. Louis City over challenges in calling-up of Njabulo Blom to the national team.
Blom, who was part of Bafana squad for friendlies against Mozambique and Angola in November, joined the US-based outfit in December.
The 23-year-old featured for City’s first two games against Austin and Charlotte respectively but was unavailable for City’s third game against Portland, prompting the Belgian to reach out to MLS side.
Broos revealed his displeasure with how the matter has been handled.
"Njabulo played the first two games, the last game he didn’t play. We made immediate contact with St. Louis. They said he is sick. Okay, he’s sick, but what is sick? they didn’t answer," Broos told SABC Sport on Thursday.
"So, we made contact with Njabulo and he said 'yes. I don’t feel so good, I think I have Covid'. I said: 'Okay, but take the test if you think you have Covid'.
"Today, it is Thursday, I’ve been speaking [with City] from Tuesday already. Yesterday, we got a note from St. Louis at five in the afternoon that the coaching staff and the medical staff were discussing the situation of Blom, yesterday at five, 20 hours later, we don't have an answer.
"I'm angry, it is not correct. [If the player is unwell] they can tell us: 'this is the problem, he [Blom] has Covid, okay, we have to change [replace Blom].
Broos also expressed his concern that City could be keeping the midfielder away from the national team but insists that he’s prepared to take the matter to higher powers.
"I’m afraid that they are trying to keep Njabulo there, but that will not happen. We know the rules, so if he doesn’t come with a correct reason, he will not play with them because then we will go to FIFA.
"I'm very angry about that."
Blom remains part of Broos' final 24-man squad for crucial Afcon qualifers against Liberia, but the event that the matter is not resolved, Broos added that Orlando Pirates' Miguel Timm would be called-up as a replacement.
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