Former SuperSport United coach Thabo September has offered a candid assessment of Shandre Campbell’s surprise inclusion in the final Bafana Bafana AFCON squad, providing unique insight into the young forward’s prospects for the looming tournament in Morocco.
Bafana head coach Hugo Broos finalised his 23-man roster this week, and true to his reputation, the Belgian manager injected a major surprise by naming the 20-year-old Club Brugge forward. This call-up marks Campbell’s very first senior national team selection, following only a handful of appearances in the Under-20 COSAFA Cup tournament.
Campbell, widely hailed as one of the country’s most promising attacking talents, began his professional career early, making his SuperSport debut at just 16. His impressive run with the club attracted European interest, leading to his move to Belgium in 2023. After a season with Club NXT [Brugge’s U-23 side], he earned promotion to the senior team, where he now competes in the UEFA Champions League.
A PRIDEFUL PROGNOSIS BY SEPTEMBER
September served as a pivotal mentor in Campbell’s formative years, guiding him through the DStv Diski Challenge (DDC) ranks before working with him professionally as SuperSport’s assistant coach. He expressed immense joy upon hearing the news of the senior call-up.
“I am very happy for him for getting to experience the AFCON at a senior level,” September told FARPost. “This will just open his eyes to a different kind of African football. So, it will help him also with his career.”
September asserted that Campbell’s trajectory always pointed towards the national team, calling his inclusion inevitable.
“Yeah, he was always a high-performance player, someone who was always earmarked for the national senior team,” September stated. “It was part of the pipeline for him at SuperSport; I think he was featured at 15 or 16. Already by then you could see that he was a special talent.”
THE AFCON TEST: WILL CAMPBELL EARN AN IMMEDIATE ROLE, OR SIMPLY GAIN EXPERIENCE?
The two scenarios outlined by September revolve around whether Broos views Campbell as a player for immediate tactical impact or as a crucial investment for Bafana’s future. The impact scenario hinges on Campbell impressing the coaching staff during the pre-tournament camp, potentially leveraging his explosive speed and versatility—particularly as an interchanging winger—to be utilised as an effective bench option.
Conversely, the experience scenario posits that given the stiff competition from established forwards like Lyle Foster and Evidence Makgopa, Broos may primarily intend for the young Club Brugge star to gain invaluable exposure to the high-pressure environment of a senior continental tournament, thereby better preparing him for the long-term goal of the 2026 World Cup campaign.
“You never know how these things come out,” September remarked. “It might happen that they see something in him during the camp. It might also happen that it’s just experience for him with Lyle and Makgopa being the senior strikers. So, it might just be the experience for him being there and playing for the 2026 World Cup.”
Ultimately, September expressed confidence in the squad selected by Broos, believing the 23 players will represent the nation “very well” at their second successive AFCON appearance.
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