Mosimane’s First Bafana Squad Signals Fresh Start and Big 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, Mosimane has named a 35-man preliminary squad for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea, as reported by TimesLIVE. It is his first official selection, and it reads like a blend of continuity and bold experimentation.
Pamoja opener at home
South Africa will kick off their Pamoja tournament campaign with a home clash against Guinea on 26 September. The competition is jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, but Bafana begin on familiar turf before heading into less conventional territory.
The return fixture against Eritrea will be played away, though not on Eritrean soil. With no suitable stadium available in the country, Eritrea will stage its “home” match in Egypt, adding a neutral twist to a key qualifier.
Injury blows to former core
Mosimane’s first list comes with some unavoidable omissions.
Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Khuliso Mudau, Thalente Mbatha and Evidence Makgopa are all missing through injury. Under former coach Hugo Broos, that quartet formed part of the backbone of the 2026 World Cup campaign. Now they watch from the sidelines as a new era begins without them.
Their absence opens doors for others – and Mosimane has clearly decided to fling those doors wide open.
New faces step into the frame
The preliminary squad includes a string of notable call-ups that hint at a refreshed Bafana.
Lebone Seema, Tshepo Mashilane, Jemran Dansin, Yanela Mutuma, Cassius Mailula, Puso Dithejane, Tashreeq Matthews, Ronaldo van Niel, Luther Singh and Shandre Campbell all make the cut. For several of them, this is a significant step into the senior national-team conversation.
Brooklyn Poggenpoel and Lebohang Maboe, who missed out on the final World Cup squad under Broos, also return to the picture. For players on the fringes in recent years, Mosimane’s first squad feels like a clean slate and a second chance.
Core of experience kept intact
Amid the new names, the spine of Bafana Bafana remains intact.
Captain Ronwen Williams is retained, as are Sipho Chaine, Tapelo Morena and Aubrey Modiba at the back. Nkosinathi Sibisi holds his place in defence, while Teboho Mokoena and Sphephelo Sithole continue to anchor the midfield.
Further forward, Relebohile Mofokeng and Themba Zwane stay on as creative forces, giving Mosimane a familiar platform from which to build.
The message is clear: evolution, not revolution. Established leaders stay on board, but the competition around them just became a lot fiercer.
The real judgement will come at the end of September, when this preliminary list is trimmed and Bafana Bafana walk out against Guinea. How quickly can Mosimane turn promise on paper into a team that can dominate a continent again?
