Pitso Mosimane names surprise South Africa squad for Afcon qualifiers

Pitso Mosimane has made several surprise selections in his first South Africa squad, naming a 35-man preliminary group for the crucial 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea.

Bafana Bafana will begin their campaign in the Pamoja tournament against Guinea on 26 September, with the match to be played at home. They will then travel to face Eritrea, although that fixture will take place in Egypt because Eritrea does not have a suitable stadium available in the country.

The tournament will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania later this month.

Mosimane took charge of South Africa this week and has largely retained the core of players who featured regularly under his predecessor, Hugo Broos. However, the new coach has also used his first squad announcement to introduce a number of unfamiliar or returning names.

Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Khuliso Mudau, Thalente Mbatha and Evidence Makgopa are among the notable omissions from the group of players Broos relied on during the 2026 World Cup. All four are absent because of injuries.

The players brought into the preliminary squad include Lebone Seema, Tshepo Mashiloane, Cemran Dansin, Yanela Muthuma, Cassius Mailula, Puso Dithejane, Tashereeq Matthews, Ronaldo van Neel, Luther Singh and Shandre Campbell.

Mosimane has also recalled Brooklyn Poggenpoel and Lebohang Maboe, who were left out of South Africa’s final squad for the World Cup.

Several of the established figures from Broos’ team remain part of the plans. Goalkeeper and captain Ronwen Williams is included, along with Sipho Chaine, Thapelo Morena, Aubrey Modiba, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Teboho Mokoena, Sphephelo Sithole, Relebohile Mofokeng and Themba Zwane.

The squad announcement gives Mosimane an early opportunity to assess both the senior players who formed the backbone of the previous team and a group of younger or less familiar options before the qualifiers begin.

South Africa’s opening assignment against Guinea will be followed by the away meeting with Eritrea in Egypt. Both matches are considered important as Bafana Bafana begin their route towards the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.

The inclusion of players such as Seema, Mashiloane, Dansin, Muthuma, Mailula, Dithejane, Matthews, van Neel, Singh and Campbell represents the clearest change in personnel under Mosimane, while the absence of four World Cup regulars means the coach will have to work around injury-related setbacks.

At the same time, the presence of Williams, Chaine, Morena, Modiba, Sibisi, Mokoena, Sithole, Mofokeng and Zwane ensures that the squad still contains much of the experience associated with the side selected by Broos.