Former Bafana Bafana head coach Gordon Igesund insists Mamelodi Sundowns’ premature CAF Champions League exit will have zero spillover effect on Pitso Mosimane’s national team.
Over the years, Masandawana have dominated the Bafana set-up, a trend witnessed during Hugo Broos‘ tenure and continued under current coach Pitso Mosimane. The national side enjoyed a respectable run of form with Sundowns players forming the core.
A bronze medal at the 2023 AFCON finals and a Round of 32 appearance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup were the major highlights of the Broos era, as he relied heavily on Masandawana stars. Mosimane has had a flying start in his return to the Bafana fold, with the Brazilians’ players anchoring his selection.
Sundowns’ fierce competitiveness in the Champions League largely gave players the experience needed for international football. The Tshwane giants’ crowning as African champions last season was expected to further strengthen Bafana’s profile.
However, Masandawana have failed to reach the Champions League group stage for the first time in 12 years. The defending champions were booted out by Angolan side Wiliete SC at the second preliminary round last month.
‘WE HAVE TO MOVE ON’: IGESUND ADVISES BAFANA BAFANA AMID THE MAMELODI SUNDOWNS DEBATE
Despite Sundowns still lined up to play in the CAF Super Cup and their upcoming FIFA Intercontinental Cup fixture, there have been concerns that their players will be starved of high-profile games this season. But Igesund has allayed the fears.
The Brazilians host CAF Confederation Cup holders USM Alger in the Super Cup at Loftus Versfeld on Sunday, 09 November 2026. To learn their next opponents in the FIFA Challenger Cup stage of the Intercontinental Cup, they will wait for the 2026 CONMEBOL Libertadores winner between Palmeiras and Estudiantes, who lock horns on November 28 in Uruguay.
The victor of that match will then meet CONCACAF champions Toluca FC of Mexico to determine the team that will play Sundowns in the Challenger Cup.
“No, I don’t think so [Sundowns’ Champions League exit will affect Bafana]. They have deservedly been doing well. They have continuously qualified for the African Champions League and all these competitions with their experienced stars and young players,” Igesund told FARPost in an interview.
“But we have to move on and invest in players coming from [Orlando] Pirates, [Kaizer] Chiefs, Stellenbosch [FC] and all the other teams. I don’t think it’s going to be a real problem.
“What Hugo Broos did well was that he used like 10-plus players from Sundowns in the national team. They played together regularly, and they knew each other.
“It was a bit easier because when you play in the national team under normal circumstances, you have three players from here, two from there or five from there. They never get to play together as a team because the teams always want their players back early.
“When players come for the national team, they come two days before a match, play and go back to their teams. Whereas Sundowns players were training and playing as a team regularly.”
A WORD FOR BAFANA COACH MOSIMANE TO GET GOING
The veteran coach tells Mosimane to brace up for a new era that could possibly be less influenced by Sundowns players. Only Orlando Pirates and Durban City FC remain in this season’s CAF inter-club competitions after Sundowns and Kaizer Chiefs bowed out from the Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup, respectively.
“Sundowns almost took up the whole national team. What Pitso will probably do is try to get his players for a longer period,” added Igesund, who is also a former Pirates coach.
“It would have been nice to have more clubs competing in CAF competitions. But unfortunately that’s not how it is. We have Durban City FC now and Pirates.
“We mustn’t look too much into what happened before because we are going forward now. Pitso must keep his team together and keep on working with them, and we go where we are going. We have got to support the team, and we see. Only time will tell.”
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