Snl24 | Palacios questions Group Stage Best XI At AFCON

Themba Zwane of South Africa during the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations match between South Africa and Namibia at Stade Amadou Gon Coulibaly on January 21, 2024 in Korhogo, Ivory Coast.

(Photo by Segun Ogunfeyitimi/Gallo Images)

Augusto Palacios has questioned the recently announced Group Stage Best XI at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

The former national team coach believes up to three of Bafana Bafana’s stars deserve to be counted amongst the group stages best performers.

The Best XI consists of four players from Morocco, three from Senegal, and two from Equatorial Guinea, while DR Congo and Angola have one player each.

READ | Bartlett rates Bafana’s chances against Morocco

“My question is one, who is in the study group? Because for such initiative you need to have a study group,” Palacios tells KickOff.

“Who was studying the players? They are from where? I don’t agree with this.

“It’s very strange, you have only one from Angola, and no one from Mozambique, no one from Zambia, and no one from South Africa.

“And you are taking four from Morocco, three from Senegal, and one from Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Angola, and no player from the rest of the nations? I do not agree.

“Who formed the study group and what criteria were used in picking the players? And from which countries do they come?

“Were they looking at players who played overseas or what?

“Because Themba Zwane deserves to be there, he scored two goals during the group stages, he helped South Africa to qualify.

“Aubrey Modiba also played very well on the left, and Thapelo Maseko also deserves to be there

“We have to look at performance. You beat Namibia 4-0 and they tell you no one from your team performed?”

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