Pitso Mosimane has named his first Bafana Bafana squad of his second spell in charge, trimming his preliminary group to 30 players for South Africa’s opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
His preliminary squad, announced after a turbulent appointment overshadowed by a salary dispute, sparked plenty of debate.
Thursday’s final list at SAFA House has now settled much of that selection.
“We have reduced the 35 to 30 players. It was not an easy thing to do,” Mosimane said.
Maboe keeps his place in Mosimane’s Bafana squad
Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Lebohang Maboe has retained his place, extending a spectacular start to the season that has produced back-to-back Man of the Match awards and four Betway Premiership goal contributions — two goals and two assists in domestic play, according to the club, while maintaining an elite 7.86 average match rating.
Maboe’s grasp of Mosimane’s methods, forged during a trophy-laden spell together at Mamelodi Sundowns, makes him a natural fit as the coach rebuilds his midfield around familiar faces.
Maboe has backed his former mentor to thrive with Bafana Bafana.
“I think he’s going to do well in the national team, he’s a coach that knows this league so well,” the 31-year-old said.
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Mosimane balances experience and new Bafana faces
Mosimane has largely kept the core of the group that represented South Africa at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while creating opportunities for several new faces.
The coach said his final decisions followed detailed assessment rather than simply picking from the preliminary group.
“We had to do our homework: who we called and why we called them,” he said. “But you must also understand why we couldn’t call all the players.”
The 30-man squad will now prepare for a demanding opening window.
Bafana Bafana face Guinea at Orlando Stadium on September 26, before travelling to Cairo to meet Eritrea on September 30. South Africa will then face Egypt in a friendly on October 4. Guinea match tickets are on sale now through Ticketpro.
Bafana Bafana face Guinea at Orlando Stadium on September 26, before travelling to Cairo to meet Eritrea on September 30.
South Africa will then face Egypt in a friendly on October 4. Guinea match tickets are on sale now through Ticketpro.
