Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos on why Cassius Mailula’s AFCON dream is over. Image Source: (@TorontoFC/Twitter)
WATCH: Forgotten Bafana Bafana star nets on full debut in the US
The 22-year-old missed the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) as he couldn’t make the Bafana Bafana squad due to his lack of game time.
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos on why Cassius Mailula’s AFCON dream is over. Image Source: (@TorontoFC/Twitter)
Forgotten Bafana Bafana international Cassius Mailula scored his first goal on his full debut for US-based outfit Toronto FC on Thursday night.
Mailula cracked the nod for the first time since joining Toronto as he started as against Samcoe County Rovers in the Canadian Championship.
He grabbed the opportunity with both hands as he netted his team’s second goal in the 5-0 drubbing of County Rovers.
The former Mamelodi Sundowns attacker had been struggling to make it into the starting line-up due to stiff competition at Toronto.
Toronto coach John Herdman previously said it was difficult for him to play Mailula as he is competing with Federico Bernardeschi and former Napoli skipper Lorenzo Insigne.
WATCH BAFANA BAFANA STAR MAILULA SCORE HIS FIRST GOAL FOR TORONTO FC
MIXED EMOTIONS WHEN MAILULA LEFT FOR THE US
Mailula joined Toronto in a surprise move from Sundowns in July 2023, and there were mixed emotions among the South African football fraternity.
Some were happy for Mailula given his talent and achievements with Sundowns while others felt he could have left for a better league in Europe.
The 22-year-old attacker had some crazy numbers while at Sundowns – he had scored 15 goals and provided five assists in 31 matches the previous season, as per Transfermarkt.
Among those who were critical of Mailula’s move to Toronto was Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos, as he felt it was too early for him to leave.
“You have a good agent when the agent is looking at you, but if you have an agent and the agent is only looking at his wallet then you don’t have a good agent,” said Broos at the time as per GOAL.
“I’m afraid that Mailula does not have a good agent. When you let him go to Toronto where you know they have two Italian internationals, Lorenz Insigne and Canadian international Deandre Kerr. You let go of a young player like this who has 15 games of experience in the PSL, that is not the right choice. Mailula will not play, you will see, even in the next months and in a month the competition is finished in America. So, for me a lost season,” he continued.
“I don’t have to blame him for that, certainly not. I think you have to blame the agent because you know that as an agent when he goes there it will be very, very difficult for that guy.”
“It should’ve been better that he should stay in Sundowns and play Champions League again, so he got the experience and maybe got the move in one or two years, but now it was much too soon and not the right club,” concluded Broos.
