Cele was originally selected in the Bafana squad for this year’s Cosafa Cup but was unable to make it due to injury.
Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Thabo Cele says he is chomping at the bit to play for Bafana Bafana.
Cele was originally selected in the Bafana squad for this year’s Cosafa Cup but was unable to make it due to injury.
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“Any opportunity I’m given to represent the country, I’d wake up even at 2 AM to play for the nation. But it’s just that I’ve been struggling with an injury,” Cele told FarPost.
Chiefs’ Cele – ‘I want to be part of that’
“I do watch Bafana games because it’s football and I support the national team. I want to be part of that. When we grow up as young boys, we have dreams of representing the country.
“So, this is something I’ve been fighting for even with the Under-20s and U-23s. Even the soldiers, when they go to fight, wear a South African badge. So we want to be part of that.
“When I got that (COSAFA Cup) call-up, I was here in Durban, and instantly the doctor indicated that it was not possible (to join the team),” he added.
Cele, 28, joined Chiefs in January and had a decent second half of the season with Amakhosi, who won the Nedbank Cup, but finished a disappointing tenth in the Betway Premiership.
Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has previously indicated that he cannot select Chiefs players for the Bafana first team, because of the side’s poor performances.
‘I can’t’
“For me, for the moment I can’t select players from Kaizer Chiefs,” said Broos.
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“I hope that they make a better season next year. Ok, they’ve won the Cup, but I think that was the only highlight in Chiefs’ season. All the rest was not so good.”
