Hugo Broos admits he was wrong to overlook Themba Zwane when naming his first few Bafana Bafana squads.
Fans were shocked to see the Mamelodi Sundowns attacker omitted by Hugo Broos at the start of his tenure.
Broos was committed to selecting young players and initially left out the 34-year-old.
However, Broos ultimately realised his mistake and Zwane has become an integral part of the Belgian’s subsequent squads.
Zwane returned to Bafana after a year in the 4-0 friendly win over Sierra Leone in September 2022.
After announcing his squad for the Africa Cup of Nations that kicks off in the Ivory Coast on January 13, Broos explained his reasoning.
He said in the Sowetan: “It was not about Themba Zwane as a player, it was about his age.
“I was thinking that in two years we are playing AFCON and there is also [the] World Cup — will he be fit at that moment? It can happen that when a player is 32 or 33 he can be finished.
“For me the reason [Zwane is back in the squad] was that there is no-one else who is younger. I know I cut my own finger and I admit it, but you see he is still fit now. It is amazing for someone of his age and he has become an important player for us.
“It is maybe the only big mistake I have made since I have been here, but there was a reason. I saw he was a good player, but it is in the past and I am a human being and only fools can’t change their minds.”