South Africa new coach Pitso Mosimane retains Ronwen Williams as Bafana Bafana captain

South Africa head coach Pitso Mosimane has retained Mamelodi Sundowns goalkeeper Ronwen Williams as captain of Bafana Bafana, with Themba Zwane and Sipho Chaine expected to serve as assistant skippers for the team.

Williams served as the permanent captain under former coach Hugo Broos, and Mosimane has confirmed that the goalkeeper will continue to hold a leadership role under his tenure.

However, Mosimane has decided against relying on a single permanent captain, explaining that he believes leadership can come from several players within the squad.

“I believe in leadership in many ways,” Mosimane said after announcing his squad.

“So we won’t have one captain. We have a few captains, and I will choose sometimes a captain of the day because if Mbappe is a captain, I think we can have also a young captain. Captain doesn’t have to be a player because he’s 38, 35, okay.

“And for your information Chaine is going to be one of the captains, same as Ronwen he will still remain my captain. Let’s go for it, let’s open this thing.”

The decision means Williams will remain one of the key leaders of the national team, while Zwane and Chaine will also be entrusted with the responsibility of wearing the armband when selected by Mosimane.

Zwane brings significant experience to the group after years of playing at the highest level with Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana Bafana, while Chaine has also earned Mosimane’s confidence to take on a leadership role.

Mosimane’s approach signals a broader captaincy structure for Bafana Bafana, with the coach stressing that leadership should not necessarily be determined by a player’s age or seniority.

The South Africa boss will therefore have the flexibility to select a captain for individual matches while maintaining Williams as one of the team’s principal leaders.