Pitso Mosimane to prioritise form over age in Bafana Bafana selections

Former Mamelodi Sundowns defender Dan Semake believes Pitso Mosimane’s first preliminary squad as Bafana Bafana head coach has made his selection policy clear: players will be judged primarily on performance and quality, rather than their age.

Semake says the squad announced last week provides an early indication of how Mosimane intends to build the national team. In his view, the new coach is prepared to select experienced players and younger footballers alike, provided they are performing at the required level.

The former defender was also unsurprised by the return of several familiar names. He pointed to Mosimane’s record of rewarding form and ability instead of relying solely on reputation or age.

“I’m not surprised to see Lebohang Maboe in the preliminary squad. He is national team material; his performance for Kaizer Chiefs just before the World Cup was excellent, and he deserved to be at the World Cup,” Semake told KickOff.

Maboe’s inclusion, according to Semake, reflects the standards Mosimane is likely to apply as he assesses his options. Players who are contributing strongly for their clubs will remain in contention for Bafana Bafana, regardless of where they are in their careers.

Semake also offered an explanation for the inclusion of Mshishi, saying Mosimane may be looking beyond current form to identify qualities that can benefit the national team.

“With Mshishi, I think Pitso wants his leadership qualities. With Pitso, performance is what counts. As long as you perform, you will get a call-up. He doesn’t care much about age.”

However, Semake warned that the preliminary squad should not be viewed as a final statement on the direction of the team. He expects Mosimane to make adjustments as he develops his own structure and establishes the foundations of his tenure.

Mosimane has retained much of the existing group for now, but Semake believes the make-up of Bafana Bafana will change gradually. The former Sundowns player said the coach’s approach would involve ongoing assessment rather than immediate, wholesale alterations.

“When it comes to Pitso, there will always be surprises and changes. He will gradually build his own structure, so he is still on that route of wanting to establish his own solid foundation. He might have kept most of the squad, but as time goes on, he will not hesitate to make changes. A squad evolves gradually,” Semake added.

Bafana Bafana’s next assignments will come in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. They are scheduled to play Guinea on 26 September before facing Eritrea on 30 September.

Those fixtures will provide Mosimane with an early opportunity to assess his squad in competitive matches, while also continuing the process of shaping the team he wants to lead.