Pitso Mosimane names first Bafana Bafana squad for AFCON 2027 qualifiers

The new chapter for the South African national football team, Bafana Bafana, under coach Pitso Mosimane, is taking form. The squad's final composition and the strengthening of the technical staff are underway for the upcoming two Afcon qualifiers. Former Botswana coach Morena Ramoreboli has joined Mosimane as his assistant as South Africa gears up for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

The host nation will face Guinea at the Orlando Stadium on September 26th, followed by a trip to Cairo to take on Eritrea four days later. The coach has put together a 30-man final squad, largely maintaining the core group that represented South Africa at the 2026 World Cup. Mosimane aims to make a strong debut in his second tenure with the national team.

He explained that they started with 35 players on the preliminary squad, consisting of eligible South African footballers. However, the task of narrowing down the list to 30 players was not an easy one. Mosimane had to thoroughly research and analyze each player's eligibility and the reasons behind their inclusion or exclusion. He acknowledged that calling all eligible players from South Africa is not feasible, as selecting the right team is crucial for the team's success.