Pitso Mosimane is ready to make his first major selection call since returning to the Bafana Bafana hot seat — and there are plenty of questions surrounding who will make the final squad.
Mosimane initially named a 35-man preliminary squad for South Africa’s upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea. Today, that list will be trimmed as the new Bafana coach puts his stamp on the team.And while some names may already look almost certain to survive the cut, others face a nervous wait.The World Cup core could remain
One thing to expect from Mosimane is a mixture of experience and fresh faces. The preliminary squad retained a significant portion of the players who represented South Africa at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where Bafana reached the knockout stage. That means players such as Ronwen Williams, Teboho Mokoena, Oswin Appollis, Relebohile Mofokeng, Evidence Makgopa and Thapelo Maseko remain part of the conversation as Mosimane builds his first competitive squad.
The question is whether the new coach will continue with the core of the team that recently represented South Africa on the world stage or accelerate the transition towards a younger group. Shandre Campbell and Siyanda Ndlovu could be one to watch
Among the younger players included in the preliminary squad, Shandre Campbell is one of the names likely to attract plenty of attention.Campbell’s inclusion is part of a wider change in the squad, with Mosimane also giving opportunities to players who had not previously been regular members of the senior national-team setup.
Puso Dithejane, Cemran Dansin, Lebone Seema, Ronaldo Van Neel and Yanela Mbuthuma were among the fresh names included in the preliminary selection.The final squad will show whether Mosimane sees these players as immediate options or players for the longer-term Bafana project.
The big selection battles
Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams has been one of South Africa’s established senior figures, but the goalkeeping department will still be interesting to watch as Mosimane decides who joins him.
The midfield could be one of the most competitive areas.
Teboho Mokoena brings international experience, while Mosimane has several other options available as he looks to establish the balance he wants in the middle of the pitch.
Attack
South Africa have several attacking options, including Lyle Foster, Mailula, Duba, Makgopa and Rayners. With goals likely to be crucial in the AFCON qualifiers, Mosimane’s decision over how many forwards to take and which combinations to use will be closely watched.
