Mosimane Names First Bafana Bafana Squad: Key Inclusions and Absences

Pitso Mosimane has wasted no time putting his stamp on Bafana Bafana.

Days after his appointment as South Africa’s national team head coach, he has named a 35-man preliminary squad for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea, a first real glimpse of his vision for the side.

Pamoja opener at home

South Africa will launch their Pamoja tournament campaign with a home clash against Guinea on 26 September, part of the qualifying programme jointly staged by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

After that, the road immediately stretches north. Bafana travel to face Eritrea in the return fixture, though that “away” match will be played in Egypt, with Eritrea forced to host there due to the lack of a suitable stadium on home soil.

Two games, early in a new era, and already plenty riding on them.

Injury-hit core left out

Mosimane’s first list also underlines the cost of injuries.

Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Khuliso Mudau, Thalente Mbatha and Evidence Makgopa are all missing from the provisional group after being ruled out. All four formed part of the core used by former coach Hugo Broos on the road to the 2026 World Cup, and their absence rips out a chunk of continuity just as the new coach arrives.

Mosimane will have to rebuild some of that spine on the fly.

Fresh faces and second chances

The door has swung open for a wave of names eager to seize their moment.

Lebone Seema, Tshepo Mashilane, Jemran Dansin, Yanela Mutuma, Cassius Mailula, Puso Dithejane, Tashreeq Matthews, Ronaldo van Niel, Luther Singh and Shandre Campbell all feature among the notable inclusions in the 35-man list, a clear signal that the new coach is willing to broaden the pool.

There is also a lifeline of sorts for two players who watched the last major tournament from the outside. Brooklyn Poggenpoel and Lebohang Maboe, both omitted from the final World Cup squad, have been recalled to the preliminary group and now stand just a step away from forcing themselves back into the competitive picture.

For some, this is a debut audition. For others, a shot at redemption.

Core leaders kept in place

Amid the churn, Mosimane has not torn everything up.

He has retained several of the team’s key figures: captain and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, fellow stopper Sipho Chaine, defenders Tapelo Morena, Aubrey Modiba and Nkosinathi Sibisi, midfield anchors Teboho Mokoena and Sphephelo Sithole, and attacking talents Relebohile Mofokeng and Themba Zwane all remain central to the project.

That blend of trusted leaders and hungry newcomers gives Mosimane a wide canvas for his first camp. The names are on the table. The fixtures are set.

Now the question is simple: how quickly can Bafana Bafana turn this fresh mix into a team that can dominate the continent again?