Making sense of Njabulo Blom’s canceled international call-up to South Africa

St. Louis CITY SC midfielder Njabulo Blom is a popular player in his native South Africa.

The 23-year-old has been on his national team’s radar for several years, having made his senior team debut during World Cup qualifying in 2021. Although he made only one appearance throughout South Africa’s qualification campaign, fans in his native country clamored to see him play. Blom remains firmly in South Africa’s plans for international competition. However, his next opportunity to represent his home will have to wait.

South Africa’s national team, known as Bafana Bafana, recently called Blom in for duty during the current international window. But due to an unspecified illness he contracted last week, Blom won’t be making the trip home. That’s caused some drama between Bafana and CITY.

Here’s what you need to know about the international dust-up.

An international explainer

Before you can digest the discord between South Africa and St. Louis, you must first understand how international play factors into the club calendar.

Most domestic soccer leagues will take a break to accommodate FIFA international windows, which allow top-level players to return home to train and play with their national teams. It’s a delicate balance for clubs across the globe, especially for those in Major League Soccer, which often plays through the windows without pausing league play. Under FIFA rules, clubs are obliged to release players to their national teams during established international windows, one of which is this week. CITY players Miguel Perez (United States U-19) and Kyle Hiebert (Canadian Men’s National Team) are among those on leave from the club right now to represent their home nations.

FIFA’s requirement that clubs release players who are called up leads to the drama at the center of Blom’s inclusion to Bafana.

Blom falls ill

A hard-working, defensively-solid midfielder, Blom is viewed as the future of South Africa’s midfield. His style of play earned him the nickname “The Cleaner” while he played for Kaizer Chiefs, the most decorated club in his country. Blom and CITY head coach Bradley Carnell share a meaningful connection as native South Africans, and the latter certainly knows what it’s like to fly halfway across the world during the long MLS season.

It’s not just that South Africa is so far from St. Louis. The problem is that Blom has been sick. A week ago, Carnell made clear that Blom would be held out of last Saturday’s game against San Jose due to “health and safety protocols.” Even in the days leading into the contest, Blom had not been practicing with CITY.

That left South Africa manager Hugo Broos feeling upset with the situation. Broos was not shy about voicing his frustration, telling reporters that CITY was not being forthcoming about Blom’s situation.

“I’m very angry about that,” Broos told South African media outlet Kickoff.

That prompted a response from CITY sporting director Lutz Pfannenstiel, who sought to clarify the situation with South Africa’s NEWS24. “”He has been in bed over the past few days, he hasn’t left his house, and is unable to train. He is simply not in the right condition to travel 15-plus hours. This is exactly what we told [South Africa]. They cannot expect that we put him on a plane when he hasn’t even come out of bed because there is a risk he might infect others.”

What’s next?

On Monday, South Africa reportedly replaced Blom on this week’s call-up roster. The CITY midfielder won’t be making the trip home, after all.

Pfannenstiel noted over the weekend that the decision was, “best for the player, and we’re always making decisions with their health in mind, first and foremost.”

The hope both in St. Louis and in South Africa is that Blom will be back in the national team picture for the next international window this summer. He’s proven through his play that he deserves to be there.

Although Blom did not make the trip to Soweto, he will not be available for CITY’s Saturday night game at Salt Lake, either. Indications are that Blom is making his recovery, and that is what truly matters.