Former Chiefs coach names surprise option for Bafana’s number 10 role

Bafana Bafana's Tshepang Moremi, Mohau Nkota and Oswin Appollis share a light a moment at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. Image: tshepang_moremii/ Instagram

Former Kaizer Chiefs assistant and development maestro Farouk Khan has a bold idea for Bafana Bafana’s number 10 spot: hand it to an Orlando Pirates winger.

It seems Bafana coach Hugo Broos is struggling to replace Themba Zwane’s industry in the number 10 role. After two 2025 AFCON games against Angola and Egypt, there’s been a sense that Sipho Mbule has fallen short of expectations to create or score goals.

While many observers have suggested Relebohile Mofokeng or Oswin Appollis for that role, Stars of Africa founder and development expert Khan has offered a surprise solution: Orlando Pirates winger Tshepang Moremi.

FAROUK KHAN: ‘WE HAVE TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX’

“I’m going to think outside the box,” Khan said on Soccer Beat. “I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I will keep [Teboho] Mokoena and [Sphehelo] Sithole in the middle, I would start them again for defensive solidity.

“Up front, I would change a little bit. I would move [Tshepang] Moremi into the 10 position. Play Oswin Appollis on the right and play Rele [Relebohile Mofokeng] on the left, and [Lyle] Foster up front.

Tshepang Moremi in action for Bafana Bafana. Image: tshepang_moremii/ Instagram

“I don’t want to lose out too much because I can make a lot of changes. If you look at Moremi coming from wide, the Egyptians could not deal with him. They could not contain him with his pace. Can you imagine Moremi coming down the middle? Combining with Foster, Appollis and Rele. That could be a dream if it worked.

“It is an experiment, you can experiment at this stage. If you need to make changes, you have sufficient players on the bench. We have to think a little out of the box. We are thinking too pragmatically at times.

“Look at the player’s qualities. With Rele in the middle, he could be limited because of his physicality. He is better on the side, the defensive actions in the wide area are less congested,” Khan added.

Meanwhile, Bafana Bafana are set to take on Zimbabwe in their final Group B match at AFCON 2025. A win for Broos’s side will seal a place in the final 16, while a draw could also be enough.