Bafana Bafana soccer coach Pitso Mosimane said Siyanda Ndlovu’s form at Mamelodi Sundowns saw the exciting attacker force his way into the squad for this month’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers against Kenya.
Ndlovu was not included in Mosimane’s preliminary squad on October 23 but named when the coach announced his 27-player squad in Johannesburg on Thursday.
Mosimane also recalled Chicago Fire centreback Mbekezeli Mbokazi, who, after starring at the World Cup in June, missed the coach’s first camp back as Bafana coach in September and early October.
Mosimane started with a 2-1 home Afcon win against Guinea, followed by a 5-0 thrashing of Eritrea in Cairo, and then a 1-0 friendly win against Egypt in the same city.
“We should not be held to a preliminary squad. You remember last time Tshepang Moremi was not in the prelim squad but played against Egypt [as a replacement call-up],” Mosimane said.
“We name a preliminary squad for many reasons. First, we are saying, ‘We are watching you, we acknowledge your contribution’.
“With Ndlovu, when you see the man-of-the-matches [for Sundowns], I think three or four times in a row, you cannot ignore that.
“We need to encourage players. And we don’t call to say, ‘You are going to play’.
"We are saying, ‘You are part of the team, we are building a team, we are building a pool of players’.
“We have a vision with the [next] World Cup. But we need to observe the vision, but we also need to observe [reaching] Afcon.
“You also don’t want to arrive there [at an Afcon or World Cup] and, for example, Thapelo Maseko is injured, what are we going to do?”
Mosimane was asked about the decision to include captain and stalwart goalkeeper Ronwen Williams and star midfielder Teboho Mokoena, who have missed recent matches injured for Sundowns.
He said he had done his homework on whether they had a chance to be fit for the national games and was willing to push waiting time for such major players.
“Those are players who led us to two Afcons [in Ivory Coast in 2024 and Morocco in December and January], to the World Cup, and they were part of the games against Guinea and Eritrea.
“We can wait for the very last moment where the doctors will say to me, ‘Coach, we rule them out’, then we can bring other players, like we brought Moremi the last time.
“We’ve got to give them the benefit of the doubt because you and me don’t know.
"What if they play on Sunday [for in the Super Cup against USM Alger] and I’ve ruled them out?
“I’ve got doctors who communicate. I’ve got [fitness trainer] KB [Kabelo Rangoaga] who talks to the analysts on that side [at Downs].”
Bafana meet Kenya at the Orlando Stadium on November 13 and at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on November 17.
Goalkeeper: Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns), Ricardo Goss (Mamelodi Sundowns), Sipho Chaine (Orlando Pirates)
Defenders: Aubrey Modiba (Mamelodi Sundowns), Samukelo Kabini (Molde FK, Norway), Fawaaz Basadien (Mamelodi Sundowns), Thapelo Morena (Mamelodi Sundowns), Thabang Matuludi (Mamelodi Sundowns), Olwethu Makhanya (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Ime Okon (Hannover 96, Germany), Lebone Seema (Orlando Pirates), Mbekezeli Mbokazi (Chicago Fire, US)
Midfielders: Teboho Mokoena (Mamelodi Sundowns), Thalente Mbatha (Orlando Pirates), Sphephelo Sithole (CD Tondela, Portugal), Bathusi Aubaas (Mamelodi Sundowns), Brooklyn Poggenpoel (Durban City)
Forwards: Iqraam Rayners (Mamelodi Sundowns), Lyle Foster (Houston Dynamo, US), Cassius Mailula (Mamelodi Sundowns), Oswin Appollis (Orlando Pirates), Puso Dithejane (Chicago Fire, US), Tashreeq Mattews (Mamelodi Sundowns), Relebohile Mofokeng (Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, Belgium), Luther Singh (AEL Limassol, Cyprus), Tshepang Moremi (Orlando Pirates), Siyanda Ndlovu (Mamelodi Sundowns).
