Broos has 75% of Bafana Afcon squad decided

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has a good idea of which players will be part of his final squad for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Morocco starting in December.

Announcing his squad for the preparatory match against Zambia in Gqeberha on Saturday, Broos said about 75% of the players he would be taking to Morocco were known.

Bafana are in a tricky Group B with Angola, Egypt and Zimbabwe at Afcon, and due to reputation and recent form, they will be favourites with the Pharaohs to make it to the knockout stages.

Ronwen Williams, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Siyabonga Ngezana, Aubrey Modiba, Khuliso Mudau, Teboho Mokoena, Sphephelo Sithole, Relebohile Mofokeng, Oswin Appollis, Sipho Mbule, Mohau Nkota and Lyle Foster are likely to get the nod for the tournament.

Thabo Moloisane, Khulumane Ndamane, Malibongwe Khoza, Masindi Nemtajela, Patrick Maswanganyi and Mduduzi Shabalala, are on the fringes of the team.

“It’s not difficult because about 75% of the squad is known,” Broos said.

“In my head I have most of the players, but we will see what happens in a month’s time or so. I am going to announce the final 23 during the early stages of December.”

Though he has a good idea of who he is going to select, Broos said some areas will give him and assistant coach Helman Mkhalele a headache.

“There are some tough decisions to be made. When you look at the squad for the international friendly against Zambia in Gqeberha, there are a few players like Relebohile Mofokeng, Siyabonga Ngezana and a few others who are not there.

“I have to make choices, and I will make them during the first week of December before I announce the final squad, and it is not going to be easy. It was easier when we went to Ivory Coast [at last year’s Afcon, where Bafana placed third] because I didn’t have these problems.

“But it is my job; in some cases it is going to be difficult to choose between player A or B. We have to make choices, and it is going to be very difficult to do that.”