With just one month remaining before the start of the AFCON, Polokwane City FC head coach Phuti Mohafe has shared his thoughts on what his players must focus on to secure a place in their respective national squads.
The 35th edition of the biennial tournament will take place from 21 December 2025 to 18 January 2026 in Morocco, as African nations will battle it out to be crowned continental champions.
The Betway Premiership side boasts several international stars who have a realistic chance of competing in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
This group includes two established Bafana Bafana internationals, Rodney Maphangule and Thabang Matuludi. Additionally, key midfielder Manuel Kambala is set to represent Mozambique, whose national team has successfully secured its place in the 24-team continental showpiece.
Mohafe emphasised that his players must double their efforts to secure spots in their national teams, stating that they need to rise above the talent pool to capture the attention of national team selectors.
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“You will never know because every player now is pushing to be in the national team for the AFCON or the [2026 FIFA] World Cup,” said Mohafe.
“So competition is rife. With Matuludi, you still have [Zuko] Mdunyelwa at [Mamelodi] Sundowns. You still [Thabiso] Monyane at [Kaizer] Chiefs. So they are vying for the same spot, as well as [Khuliso] Mudau.
“[Thapelo] Morena, also from Sundowns, is a versatile player. So with Maphangule fighting for that spot with [Thalente] Mbatha, the likes of [Patrick] Maswanganyi. “Like I said, competition is rife. So they have to go and test themselves at the national level and fight for their place.”
Mohafe didn’t just focus on the players’ personal aspirations; he highlighted how their potential participation at AFCON would directly benefit Polokwane City FC. He views the international experience as an invaluable resource that will be channelled back into the Betway Premiership side. Mohafe believes the elevated standards and competitive drive the players gain while representing their countries will bring both stability and a higher level of performance to the club:
“I think that this is going to give us more experience. When they go to those respective national teams, when they come back to the team level, the experiences that they gain in the national teams are massive for us,” added Mohafe.
“Now they have to double their efforts because they know that if they don’t perform to their best abilities, they won’t be called again. So it is giving us stability as well as a team to perform better.”
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