Mosimane backs Makhanya to challenge for Bafana starting place

Pitso Mosimane has suggested Olwethu Makhanya’s impressive start at Rangers could earn him a place in South Africa’s team for their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Mosimane began his second spell in charge of Bafana Bafana with a training session at UJ Stadium on Monday. The 62-year-old coach will lead South Africa against Guinea at Orlando Stadium on Saturday (15:00) before an away match against Eritrea in neutral Cairo on 30 September.

The fixtures leave Mosimane no time for warm-up matches as he attempts to implement his ideas and build on the progress made under Hugo Broos. Broos guided South Africa to a historic first World Cup group-stage qualification in North America in June, as well as a third-place finish at the 2024 Afcon, although Bafana were eliminated in the last 16 at the start of this year.

Mosimane has retained much of Broos’ squad while adding several players who have impressed abroad. Luther Singh returns after a five-year absence and has found his scoring touch with AEL Limassol in Cyprus. Shandre Campbell, who missed the World Cup after struggling for regular football at Club Brugge, has scored once in six matches for KV Kortrijk.

There is also encouraging form among South Africa’s overseas-based players. Puso Dithejane, a former Kaizer Chiefs youth player, has been scoring for Chicago Fire, while Mbekezeli Mbokazi has continued to develop after an outstanding World Cup.

Relebohile Mofokeng, who scored against South Korea at the World Cup, has four goals in nine starts for Royale Union Saint-Gilloise. The Belgian Jupiler Pro League champions in 2024-25 and runners-up last season are top of the table. Mofokeng joined after helping Orlando Pirates win a treble and their first Premiership title in 13 years in 2025-26.

Thapelo Maseko, another scorer against South Korea, moved from Mamelodi Sundowns to FC Copenhagen after a successful loan spell at Limassol. He has already scored a brace, the first by a South African in Denmark’s Superliga since Sibusiso Zuma in 2003.

But it is Makhanya’s performances for Rangers that have particularly caught Mosimane’s attention. The former Stellenbosch FC defender joined from Philadelphia Union for £3m (R65m) after the World Cup and has impressed in successive Old Firm derbies, helping Rangers beat Celtic 3-0 in the League Cup quarter-final and 1-0 in the Premiership.

“If you understand and follow football properly, you don’t play the Glasgow derby if you don’t have the mental capacity before you even talk about the talent,” Mosimane said.

“He’s raising his hand to say ‘I want to play too’.”

Makhanya, Dithejane and Maseko are 22, while Mbokazi, Mofokeng and Campbell are 21. Makhanya was behind Mbokazi and Ime Okon of Hannover 96 in the World Cup pecking order, and Nkosinathi Sibisi was also selected ahead of him against Mexico.

Mosimane said competition was vital, also pointing to returning forward Cassius Mailula, who has regained confidence after difficult spells in Major League Soccer, Morocco and Belgium before returning to Mamelodi Sundowns.

The coach, who has since his first Bafana tenure won major honours with Sundowns and Al Ahly and coached in the Gulf, now has the task of turning that depth into a successful team.