Bafana Bafana ready for AFCON, Broos to reveal final roster

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos is set to make an important squad announcement on Monday at noon when he names the final squad for the upcoming AFCON in Morocco next month.

Bafana have been on an upward trajectory over the last two years. They have qualified for back-to-back AFCON campaigns and secured automatic qualification for the World Cup in North America next year.

The South Africans had a memorable return to AFCON in the last edition, earning a podium finish — their first since 2000. That milestone, along with qualifying for next year’s World Cup, has made Bafana one of the dark horses heading to Morocco.

Broos is excited by the prospect. He argues that this will be the best way to gauge their World Cup readiness and showcase the growth the team has made in the last few months.

But the hard work won’t start there. It will begin with the silver-haired Belgian putting his head on the block and selecting players he trusts — and not those he merely thinks might deliver — to make the country proud.

Of the 54 players in his provisional squad, most are the core individuals who have played a central role in helping the team turn things around. That is why Broos has already highlighted that 80% of those players will board the flight to Morocco.

Some of the mainstay players include, but are not limited to, Ronwen Williams, Khuliso Mudau, Teboho Mokoena, and Lyle Foster. Of the quartet, only Foster is not a Mamelodi Sundowns player, as the rest are almost always together at club level here at home.

However, Broos is pleased that club allegiances end there, and that there is strong camaraderie and unity among the players in camp.

Looking at new faces, someone like Tshepang Moremi — who recently returned to the national team — is expected to make the cut in the final squad after his impressive performances for Orlando Pirates in recent months.

With Pirates having done so well in domestic football — as they are on the cusp of winning their second trophy of the season and are eager to dethrone Sundowns in the championship race — it is no surprise that they have the most players (12) in the provisional squad. \

However, chances remain slim to none for Pirates duo Masindi Nemtajela and Patrick Maswanganyi to make the final squad.

Nemtajela received his maiden Bafana call-up in the last camp for the international friendly against Zambia, but after failing to get game time, it appears Broos was not entirely convinced of his readiness to be drafted into the AFCON squad.

Nemtajela cannot afford to drop his head. He must continue to work hard in training and show his best side so that when the World Cup arrives next year, he is ready to be one of the players at the top of the final list.

Maswanganyi has endured a rollercoaster of performances, leading Broos to leave him out of the previous camp. His newly found form may not be enough to secure him a ticket to AFCON.

He is not alone in hitting form a little too late. Thembinkosi Lorch has also been in blistering form for Wydad Casablanca, but Broos has long made up his mind about the 32-year-old, saying that at his age he is not part of Bafana’s future.

Broos’ stance has divided the football fraternity, with some arguing that he is contradicting himself by not selecting Lorch after insisting he selects players based on form and merit, not popularity.

Broos has conceded that the only major change he has made since his appointment in 2021 was initially not selecting Themba Zwane (37), only to be convinced after watching him closely.

Given how well the duo have worked together since rekindling their partnership, it will be interesting to see whether Zwane will make the final AFCON squad, especially after just marking his return to competitive football for Sundowns against MC Alger in the CAF Champions League's second group stage following a recurring injury that kept him sidelined.

Zwane’s talent and leadership qualities, despite his soft-spoken nature, bring a great deal to any football setup.

Will it be worthwhile for Broos to include him in the team and trust that he will do his best on the pitch, even though he is lacking match fitness?

Well, that remains to be seen.