(Photo by Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images)
If consistency is one of the key measures Hugo Broos will use when trimming down his final Bafana Bafana squad for the FIFA World Cup, then Tashreeq Matthews has every right to be part of that conversation.
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The Mamelodi Sundowns attacker may not dominate headlines in the same way some of South Africa’s more explosive forwards do, but over the course of this season, few players have offered the kind of reliability, consistency, and tactical value Matthews has.
For a national team coach preparing for the biggest tournament in world football, those qualities matter.
Matthews has quietly put together one of the strongest and most consistent campaigns of any South African attacker this season, and the numbers support it. The 25-year-old is Sundowns’ third most-used player this season, behind only captain Ronwen Williams and midfield engine Marcelo Allende.
More significantly, he is the only Sundowns player to feature in every single match across all competitions this campaign.
That level of availability should not be overlooked. In a squad packed with internationals, rotation options, and proven match-winners, Matthews has remained the one constant. He has featured 46 times this season, scoring six goals and providing six assists, a return that reflects not only end product, but also the trust placed in him by the technical team.
Players do not appear in 46 matches for a side like Sundowns by accident. They do it because coaches trust them, because they execute instructions, and because they deliver, even when the spotlight is elsewhere. Matthews has done exactly that all season.
What strengthens his case even further is that this is not a one-season spike.
Last season, the Cape Town-born attacker featured 34 times, scoring eight goals and adding seven assists. This season has not been an outlier; it has been a progression. He has backed up last season’s output with greater consistency, more responsibility, and improved availability, all while playing in one of the most competitive squads on the continent.
That should count for something when Broos sits down to finalise his squad.
The Bafana coach has never hidden what he values. He wants tactical discipline, intensity, and players who understand structure. He wants footballers who can follow instructions, adapt quickly, and maintain output within a system. Matthews fits that profile.
He may not carry the same hype as Relebohile Mofokeng or the same recent momentum as Oswin Appollis, both of whom have been outstanding this season, but Matthews offers something equally valuable: dependability. He is available, he is consistent, he is positionally flexible, and he has delivered over the course of an entire campaign, not just in flashes.
That versatility only strengthens his case. Matthews can operate wide, in deeper attacking spaces or across the front line, offering Broos tactical flexibility in a tournament environment where squad balance often matters just as much as individual brilliance.
That becomes even more relevant with Tshepang Moremi carrying injury concerns. Should Broos need another wide option who can press, track, rotate, and still offer attacking quality, Matthews becomes a practical and logical solution.
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