With Orlando Pirates striker Tshegofatso Mabasa's goalscoring exploits yet to attract Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos, Soccer Laduma highlights previous PSL top goalscorers unpopular with the national team.
It is quite a surprising that Mabasa has not been called up to the Bafana squad since the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in October 2021, where he actually flew under the radar at Pirates, before he was loaned out to Sekhukhune United at the end of 2021/22 campaign.
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Since winning the Lesley Manyathela Golden Boot Award with 16 goals for Ezimnyama last season, the Bloemfontein native has not received a Bafana call-up, with his teammate Evidence Makgopa preferred instead.
After scoring his second hat-trick of the year 2024 in an 8-1 trouncing of Marumo Gallants, the 28-year-old striker has actually finished the year with 20 goals.
Going far back to at least to the 2008/09 season, the late Richard Henyekane was the leading goalscorer with 19 goals for Golden Arrows and Henyekane subsequently played in seven games for Bafana, although all of them were in friendly matches between 2009 and 2010.
Siyabonga Nomvethe also topped the scoring charts for Moroka Swallows in the 2011/12 campaign with 20 goals and at age 35 was recalled to the national team, as he played two World Cup qualifiers during that season and one friendly game, taking his overall to 78 caps.
Moeketsi Sekola was also one of the unpopular top finishers, as he topped the charts for Free State Stars in the 2014/15 term but was rewarded with call ups and played three Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
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After being crowned 2016/17 PSL Footballer of the Season, Lebohang Manyama also won the Golden Boot Award with 13 goals for Cape Town City and featured prominently for Bafana before he moved to Turkish side Konyaspor at the end of that season.
Rodney Ramagalela was also one of the unluckiest strikers who won the gong for Polokwane City, jointly with Percy Tau formerly with Mamelodi Sundowns in the 2017/18 campaign with 11 goals, as 'RamaG' has no Bafana cap to his name.
Bradley Grobler was also the leading striker in the PSL post the 2020/21 season for SuperSport United with 16 goals but has not featured for the national team since November 2019.
