Despite being hopeful that Lebohang Maboe’s injury is not serious, Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane has been forced to replace the Kaizer Chiefs midfielder with Orlando Pirates star Tshepang Moremi.
“Mosimane confirmed that a call-up letter for Tshepang Moremi has been sent to Orlando Pirates,” the SA Football Association (Safa) said in a statement on Tuesday.
Maboe picked up an injury during Amakhosi’s goalless draw against Golden Arrows on Sunday.
READ: Pitso Mosimane names final Bafana squad for Afcon qualifiers
“Lebohang Maboe twisted his ankle while playing for Kaizer Chiefs, and after undergoing a scan, he will be ruled out from the current camp and this Fifa window,” said team doctor Tshepo Molobi.
On Monday, Mosimane was hopeful that his former star midfielder during their time at Sundowns would recover and feature in at least one of the three upcoming Bafana fixtures.
“He (Maboe) has a niggling ankle injury,” said Mosimane at the University of Johannesburg (UJ).
“You could see that with the injury, he was never kicked by anyone. The doctor briefed me that we should be careful with him and give him a chance (to recover).
READ: Kaizer Chiefs surprise fans after announcing Lebo Maboes signing
“It is a three-week camp (Bafana will also play a friendly match against Egypt). He is going to do a scan, and the scan will tell us how far he is. He has worked hard to be in Bafana.
“He will be disappointed that he has got an injury. But sometimes this is football, and we hope Lebo recovers.”
Maboe will surely be gutted to miss out on an opportunity to not only reunite with Mosimane but also represent Bafana in the two crucial 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) matches against Guinea and Eritrea.
The 32-year-old has been one of the key players for Chiefs since joining them last season. His exploits saw him get close to representing Bafana at the 2026 Fifa World Cup, but fell short in the preliminary squad.
- Lebohang Maboe twisted his ankle during Kaizer Chiefs' goalless draw against Golden Arrows and will be ruled out of the current Bafana Bafana camp and FIFA window.
- Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane has replaced Maboe with Orlando Pirates star Tshepang Moremi for the upcoming fixtures.
- The SA Football Association confirmed that a call-up letter for Tshepang Moremi has been sent to Orlando Pirates.
- Mosimane expressed hope Maboe would recover and possibly feature in at least one of the three upcoming Bafana matches after undergoing a scan.
- Maboe was set to miss crucial 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea due to his injury.
