Mosimane puts 2027 AFCON qualification ahead of youth development

Pitso Mosimane says securing qualification for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations is the overriding priority after selecting several youthful players in his 30-man Bafana Bafana squad.

The squad was announced at a press conference at SAFA House on Thursday ahead of qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea, as well as an international friendly against Egypt.

Mosimane, beginning his second spell in charge of the national team, said the need to prepare for the future had influenced his decision to include a number of younger players. However, the 62-year-old made it clear that developing new talent could not come at the expense of reaching the tournament.

“The priority is qualifying, right? There’s nothing else. We can talk about all the youth and everything (but) we need to qualify, right. That’s the priority. So we need to have players who will help us to qualify,” Mosimane told reporters.

The coach indicated that the match against Egypt in Cairo could provide an opportunity for less experienced members of his squad to demonstrate whether they are ready for international football.

“We need to have players we will give a chance to see if they are ready for this and we’re bringing them against Egypt in Cairo. I think you know what’s happening there. So, let’s see what we have with these other players who have not been playing.”

Egypt, the record African champions, will offer a demanding test for those players yet to establish themselves at international level. Mosimane said the scale of the fixture made it particularly useful for assessing them.

“This is the biggest friendly you can ever find, it’s big, it’s Egypt. So, let’s test the younger ones, let’s test those who have not had the chance to play, and I believe those who have not had a chance to play should play also in the qualifiers,” he said.

Although the friendly is expected to help him evaluate his wider squad, Mosimane stressed that circumstances could also determine who features in the competitive matches.

“It depends, you can get injuries, suspensions, you’ve got to be ready,” he added.

The squad selection comes as Bafana Bafana prepare to begin their campaign to qualify for the 2027 AFCON. The tournament will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda between June and July.