The AFCON 2023 bronze medal winners Bafana Bafana are set to kick start their 2025 AFCON tournament that will be hosted in Morocco from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026.
Hugo Broos on the 29th of August 2024 named his final 23-man squad excluding the current winner of the Golden Glove at AFCON 2024 Ronwen Williams who is currently injured and the lion of Juda Percy Tau who is struggling with game time and in contractual saga with his current club Al Ahly.
Themba “Mshishi” Zwane will lead Broos troops in the back-to-back clashes against Uganda on Friday at Orlando Stadium 6pm before travelling to East-Central Africa to face South Sudan in their second match of the AFCON 2025 group qualifiers as the team’s captain. South Africa is drawn in Group K alongside Congo, South Sudan, and Uganda in the AFCON qualifiers.
BAFANA BAFANA FINAL SQUAD
GOALKEEPERS
Ricardo Goss [SuperSport United], Veli Mothwa [AmaZulu FC], Sipho Chaine [Orlando Pirates]
DEFENDERS
Sydney Mobbie [SuperSport United], Rushwin Dortley [Kaizer Chiefs], Nkosinathi Sibisi [Orlando Pirates], Aubrey Modiba [Mamelodi Sundowns], Khuliso Mudau [Mamelodi Sundowns, Fawaaz Basadien [Stellenbosch FC], Siyabonga Ngezana [Fotbal Club FCSB], Grant Kekana [Mamelodi Sundowns], Thapelo Morena [Mamelodi Sundowns]
MIDFIELDERS
Teboho Mokoena [Mamelodi Sundowns], Jayden Adams [Stellenbosch FC], Sphephelo Sithole [Gil Vicente], Thalente Mbatha [Orlando Pirates]
FORWARDS
Themba Zwane [Mamelodi Sundowns], Relebohile Mofokeng [Orlando Pirates], Oswin Appollis [Polokwane City], Patrick Maswanganyi [Orlando Pirates]. Iqraam Rayners [Mamelodi Sundowns], Elias Mokwana [Esperence], and Lyle Foster [Burnley].
Hugo said that it is very important for Bafana Bafana to start the qualifiers on a positive note this coming Friday “When we go back to the last eight months of this year, in the beginning of the year, I think we can be very happy with the results of Bafana Bafana”, he further indicated that the squad believes in themselves to collect maximum points at the early stages of the AFCON 2025 group qualifies to put pressure on their opponents “we are confident, and we believe in ourselves to start those qualifiers for AFCON 2025. I think it’s very important that when you play qualifiers you have a good start. When you have a good start, you put pressure on your opponents. When you don’t, it’s just the opposite. We have to try to avoid that.”
The top two teams in each AFCON 2025 group stages will qualify to play in Africa’s prestigious tournament to be hosted in Morocco next year.
