South Africa named two uncapped players in a 25-man squad for the Africa Cup of Nations finals, with coach Hugo Broos seeking to give 20-year-olds Shandre Campbell and Tylon Smith international exposure.
The pair were surprise inclusions when Broos named his selection on Monday ― the first of the 24 squads competing at the finals in Morocco later this month to be named.
Campbell plays at Club Brugge in Belgium and Smith for Queens Park Rangers in the English Championship and they have both had only a single senior start in domestic cup competition this season.
“I’m also looking a little to the future with this selection,” Broos explained.
The coach announced the squad speaking digitally from his home in Belgium, from where he will travel to the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington on Friday.
Probably the major surprise was there was no room for Mamelodi Sundowns striker Iqraam Rayners, who was the second-top scorer after Brazilian teammate Lucas Ribeiro in the Betway Premiership last season and has chipped in with goals at national level.
And there is no place for veteran defender Themba Zwane, 36, who was named in the preliminary squad on November 24.
He has barely played for Sundowns this season as he has battled injuries that go back half a year. However, lack of game time meant Zwane could not make the final combination.
He made a return from injury coming on as an 88th-minute substitute in Sundowns’ 1-1 Caf Champions League group draw against MC Alger in Algiers on Friday night. Before that he last kicked a ball in the Brazilians’ 3-0 home Premiership win against Magesi FC on September 14.
Bafana are competing at the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the US next year. There are nine players who survive from the squad that finished third at the last Cup of Nations finals in the Ivory Coast.
“We have to do at least the same thing we did at the last Cup of Nations finals and that is reaching the semifinals,” the coach said. “We are going with a lot more experience and that’s the big change that has happened to this team over the past two years. We’ve become a lot more mature.”
South Africa open their tournament in Marrakech on December 22 against Angola and also meet Egypt and Zimbabwe in Group B.
Bafana go into camp on Monday, after Saturday’s Carling Knockout Cup final between Orlando Pirates and Marumo Gallants.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Sipho Chaine (Orlando Pirates), Ricardo Goss (Siwelele), Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Defenders: Samukele Kabini (Molde), Thabang Matuludi (Polokwane City), Mbekezeli Mbokazi (Orlando Pirates), Aubrey Modiba (Mamelodi Sundowns), Khuliso Mudau (Mamelodi Sundowns), Khulumani Ndamane (TS Galaxy), Siyabonga Ngezana (Steaua Bucharest), Nkosinathi Sibisi (Orlando Pirates), Tylon Smith (Queens Park Rangers)
Midfielders: Bathusi Aubaas (Mamelodi Sundowns), Thalenthe Mbatha (Orlando Pirates), Teboho Mokoena (Mamelodi Sundowns), Sphephelo Sithole (Tondela)
Forwards: Oswin Appollis (Orlando Pirates), Shandre Campbell (Club Brugge), Lyle Foster (Burnley), Evidence Makgopa, Sipho Mbule, Relebohile Mofokeng (all Orlando Pirates), Elias Mokwana (Al Hazem), Tshepang Moremi (Orlando Pirates), Mohau Nkota (Al Ettifaq)
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