Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane has explained his decision to include Teboho Mokoena and Ronwen Williams in his latest squad, despite the Mamelodi Sundowns duo currently nursing injuries ahead of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.
Mosimane trimmed his team to a 27-man squad on Thursday at the SABC studios in Auckland Park, making big calls on several Bafana stars. The former Al Ahly coach confirmed that his squad will face Kenya in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.
Bafana will lock horns with Kenya in the back-to-back fixtures as the chase for qualification to the next Nations Cup intensifies.
South Africa will clash with Kenya at Orlando Amstel Arena on 13 November before facing the same opponent away from home on 17 November in Nairobi.
Meanwhile, the match against Kenya will mark an exciting meeting between South African bright minds Mosimane and Benni McCarthy, who is in charge of the East African side.
In his squad announcement, Mosimane included Mamelodi Sundowns stars Mokoena and Williams, who have been nursing injuries over the past few weeks.
The talented goalkeeper, Williams, and midfield maestro, Mokoena, have been missing in action for Sundowns in recent matches as they work their way back to full fitness.
MOSIMANE REMAINS OPTIMISTIC OF MOKOENA AND WILLIAMS AVAILABILITY
While addressing the media, Mosimane remained optimistic that the two key Bafana players would recover in time for the Kenya test.
“Those are key players who have been leading us in the first AFCON, second AFCON, and the [FIFA] World Cup. They have also been part of the Guinea and Eritrea games,” Mosimane said.
“So they are very important players for us, and we will wait for the doctors to rule them out; then we can bring other players, like we brought [Tshepang] Moremi last time. But in football, they say, until the fat lady sings. So we get to give them the benefit of the doubt because you and I don’t know [what will happen].
“What if they play on Sunday [for Sundowns against USM Alger in the CAF Super Cup] and I’ve already ruled them out? You guys will be saying I left out Teboho and Ronwen. And I come to you and say they are injured, but I’ve got doctors who communicate.
“So we have to be careful with the national team; we don’t just have a reaction and all that. We wait until the end. Moremi played for us against Egypt; was he in the provisional squad? No, so it’s a very tricky thing; I’d rather play it safe than regret,” Mosimane added.
Mokoena and Williams have been key for both Sundowns and Bafana in the past few years, helping the national team qualify for back-to-back AFCONs before booking a ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where South Africa made history by reaching the knockout stage for the first time.
On the domestic front, the duo played a pivotal role as Sundowns ended a ten-year wait to secure the CAF Champions League crown last season.
They are now in a race against the clock to return to full fitness ahead of Masandawana’s CAF Super Cup final against USM Alger at Loftus Versfeld Stadium, with kick-off set for 15:00 CAT.
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