Unlike in recent years when the entire nation needed calculators to work out Bafana Bafana’s chances of during final qualifier matches for big tournaments, Hugo Broos has come on board and changed all that.
Now SA is four games away from qualifying SA for the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
Bafana will be reporting for camp in the next few days, as they are set to resume their Group C World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho on Friday and Nigeria next
Tuesday.
Both matches will take place at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.
Bafana are currently leading the group with 13 points after six matches and have a five-point cushion over second-placed Rwanda and third-placed Benin, who are both on eight points.
African powerhouse Nigeria find themselves in an unwanted position in fourth place with
seven points. Lesotho sits a point behind in fifth, with Zimbabwe at the basement of the group on four points.
So, should Bafana get positive results in the two games, they will edge even closer to securing a place in the global showpiece by qualification for the first time since 2002.
This is the situation despite the lingering Fifa case concerning SA playing an ineligible player in midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who featured illegaly against Lesotho a few months ago. Mokoena should have sat out the encounter due to accumulating yellow cards that ruled him out.
Despite all of that and the many changes made by Broos in his latest squad, the team looks balanced with a mix of experience and exciting talent. It should have what it takes to get the job done in the City of Roses.
Players such as Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Mduduzi Shabalala, Kamogelo Sebelebele, Zuko Mdunyelwa and Ime Okon, among other new additions, have been doing well enough at their respective clubs to earn themselves a call-up from Broos.
Bafana Bafana squad
Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams, Ricardo Goss, Sipho Chaine
Defenders: Nyiko Mobbie, Zuko Mdunyelwa, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Aubrey Modiba, Kulumane Ndamane, Ime Okon, Samukelo Kabini, Siyabonga Ngezana.
Midfielders: Teboho Mokoena, Luke Le Roux, Bathusi Aubaas, Thalente Mbatha.
Forwards: Kamogelo Sebelebele, Oswin Appollis, Patrick Maswanganyi, Iqraam Rayners, Lyle Foster, Mduduzi Shabalala, Mohau Nkota, Relebohile
Mofokeng.
