Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has explained the surprise inclusion of Shandre Campbell and Tylon Smith in his final AFCON squad.
The duo made the Belgian mentor’s Bafana final 25-member squad, set to participate in the upcoming CAF 2025 AFCON tournament, which is due to be held in Morocco from 21 December 2025 until 18 January 2026.
Campbell is currently plying his trade in Belgium for Club Brugge, while Smith turns out for the English side Queens Park Rangers. The pair graduated from the Amajita squad under the tutelage of coach Raymond Mdaka, who guided the SA men’s Under-20 national team to their first-ever AFCON triumph.
To top it off, Smith was named Best Player of the CAF U-20 AFCON tournament held in Egypt earlier this year. In addition, he was nominated for the CAF Young Player of the Year and reached the final three, which was won by Moroccan star Othmane Maamma of Watford FC.
Broos announced his final squad from his 54-man preliminary squad live on SABC Sport on Monday, 1 December 2025.
THE REAL REASON WHY HUGO BROOS SELECTED SHANDRE CAMPBELL AND TYLON SMITH
Broos revealed that he chose the two players based on their quality and aims for them to gain experience playing at a high level of football, as they are thinking about the future.
“I think the most important thing is that they are still players who are very talented and who played in AFCON, and it was a little surprising that they didn’t release Shandre to go with the U-20 team to the AFCON tournament,” said Broos.
“But I think it’s a great opportunity for those two players to adapt to a higher level of football and to see what’s happening with Bafana Bafana during training. They have a lot to learn in the coming weeks.
“I took them for their quality, and we don’t really have to count on them to play in games. However, if the opportunity arises, we can give them a chance. The most important thing for them now is to gain experience with Bafana Bafana, and at the higher level they are confronted with.
“We can give them time to settle into the national team, which is why I decided to take those two players with us now to AFCON. We are also looking at the future; it may be a little easier for them to become regular players for Bafana Bafana.”
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