Bafana Bafana trio of Lebo Mothiba, Thapelo Maseko, and Grant Kekana has been dropped from the squad ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers due to injuries and their replacements have joined the camp.
As a result, Hugo Broos will have to do without his three first-choice players when they face Benin and Rwanda.
The two crucial matches will take place on Saturday, 18 November at Moses Mabhida Stadium and on Tuesday, 21 November at Huye Stadium, Butare.
ELIAS MOKWANA, EVIDENCE MAKGOPA AND THAPELO XOKI CALLED UP AS REPLACEMENTS
Bafana team doctor Tshepo Molobi provided an injury update on Tuesday.
He stated that Sekhukhune United striker Elias Mokwana and Orlando Pirates duo Evidence Makgopa and Thapelo Xoki have come in for Mothiba, Maseko, and Kekana.
“Yes, Evidence was called in on Sunday, subsequently to a medical report that we received from Lebo Mothiba’s medical team up in France,” Molobi told SAFA Media.
“It’s an injury that we know about. But it got aggravated in one of the matches that he played a couple of days prior. We had a discussion as a medical team and the coaches. The decision was to exclude him from this camp to allow him proper time for rehab.
MOLOBI ON THAPELO MASEKO AND GRANT KEKANA INJURIES
“With Thapelo and Grant, the understanding was that they were nursing a couple of injuries. The medical team at Sundowns were working tirelessly to get them ready to go to the national team proper.
“Thapelo already had scans done. The hope was that with medical intervention he would be ready coming into camp to play. Grant at that stage hadn’t done any scans on arrival in camp.
“We couldn’t give the coaches any assurances that we would have them ready for Saturday. It was also very questionable whether we would get them ready for Tuesday against Rwanda,” Molobi added.
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