Mosimane recall opens Bafana Bafana door for seven overlooked players

Pitso Mosimane’s return as Bafana Bafana coach has already brought opportunities for seven players who struggled to gain favour under his predecessor, Hugo Broos.

The former Mamelodi Sundowns manager announced the first final squad of his second spell in charge yesterday, marking the start of a new era for the national team.

Among those to benefit are players who had been overlooked despite strong domestic form, while others have earned selection after finding greater consistency at club level.

Lebone Seema – Orlando Pirates

The 23-year-old centre-back was a key part of Orlando Pirates’ league-winning campaign last season, helping the club secure their first league title in 14 years. He was also named Defender of the Season at the league’s year-end awards.

Despite those achievements, Seema was regularly overlooked by Broos.

Lebohang Maboe – Kaizer Chiefs

Maboe played an important role in Kaizer Chiefs finishing third last season and has arguably been among the PSL’s best midfielders over the past 18 months.

The 31-year-old was included in Broos’ World Cup preliminary squad a few months ago but was left out of the final list for the tournament co-hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.

Tashreeq Matthews – Mamelodi Sundowns

Matthews has scored more than 20 goals as a winger over the past three seasons, but those performances were not enough to earn him recognition from Broos.

The 26-year-old was never called up by the former Belgian coach, not even for a friendly.

Yanela Mbuthuma – Orlando Pirates

Mbuthuma received only one call-up under Broos, appearing in a friendly against Mozambique in June 2025 while he was still playing for Richards Bay.

The 24-year-old striker has only recently started finding his rhythm in front of goal, meaning his absence from previous squads was understandable during Broos’ tenure.

Luther Singh – AEL Limassol, Cyprus

Singh spent much of Broos’ time in charge moving between clubs, but now appears to have found stability at AEL Limassol.

The 29-year-old forward has scored nine goals and provided six assists in 26 league matches for the Cypriot club. He has already won three Bafana Bafana caps and has represented the national team at every junior level.

Puso Dithejane – Chicago Fire, US

Dithejane, 22, had not previously made a final Bafana Bafana squad, although Broos occasionally included him in preliminary selections.

The former TS Galaxy player has recently been in strong form for Chicago Fire, scoring several important goals in the club’s latest matches.

Brooklyn Poggenpoel – Durban City

Like Maboe, Poggenpoel was named in the World Cup preliminary squad but did not make Broos’ final selection.

The 26-year-old has impressed with his performances for Durban City in recent months and has now been handed an opportunity under Mosimane.