Mosimane calls up in-form Siyanda Ndlovu for Bafana Bafana’s Kenya qualifiers

Siyanda Ndlovu has been rewarded for his impressive start at Mamelodi Sundowns with his first Bafana Bafana call-up for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Kenya.

The 23-year-old winger joined Sundowns from Golden Arrows in July, when there were concerns that he might struggle to secure regular minutes in a squad packed with attacking talent.

However, “Skhwishi” has made a strong impression in his first four months at the club and was added to coach Pitso Mosimane’s squad after initially being left out of the preliminary selection.

Bafana Bafana face Benni McCarthy’s Kenya side, known as the Harambee Stars, at Orlando Stadium on Friday at 18:00 before travelling to Nairobi for the return fixture on Tuesday, 17 November.

South Africa are aiming to strengthen their position at the top of Group D, with Ndlovu’s recent form earning him an opportunity to train with the national team.

He has helped Sundowns win their past three matches against Golden Arrows, Durban City and Marumo Gallants in all competitions. Ndlovu also collected two man-of-the-match awards during that run.

“If you look at his last few games, he came out with two man-of-the-match awards, he is scoring, assisting and he is a deliberate player,” Mosimane said.

“He is a little bit of a duplicate of Thapelo Maseko, and I like those types of wingers.

“Some people like wingers to turn around, but I like them going for one-on-ones and going behind the defence and bringing the ball into the box … and let’s tap it in. Those are my kind of wingers.

“He is deliberate. But you must score also goals. You can’t just tell us about assists. He is that kind of player, who has intensity.”

Despite selecting Ndlovu, Mosimane stressed that the call-up did not guarantee him playing time in either match.

“I want to check him in the national team, because this is not the same level as club level. We want to see how he is, how he will fit in, and we need to create a big pool of players,” he said.

“We don’t have time and I am not like Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus, who says: ‘I am taking the England tour’. I have to follow what Fifa gives me. And at the moment there are friendly games until the Afcon final.

“How am I going to see the players who are doing well? I need to bring them into the camp and train with them. When we bring you in, it doesn’t mean you are going to play.”

Mosimane said the purpose of the call-up was also to assess whether Ndlovu could adapt to the national team’s methods, including its set-pieces and corner routines.

“This is international level and it is not only about talent, it is about fitting into the group,” he said. “We are building a culture and we need to keep it in the national team.”

He also compared that approach with the Springboks, while noting that football does not have equivalent development programmes such as Craven Week.