Johannesburg – New Bafana Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane has signalled a new era for Bafana Bafana, blending the established World Cup core with fresh talent and familiar faces in his first 35-man squad.
Mosimane’s squad includes several players who were outside Broos’ established group, including Puso Dithejane, Shandre Campbell, Cemran Dansin, Lebone Seema and Ronaldo van Neel. Luther Singh, Lebohang Maboe and Cassius Mailula have also returned to the national-team picture.
The changes come despite Mosimane stressing that he does not intend to dismantle the team that helped South Africa reach the 2026 World Cup knockout stages.
“I’m not carrying the biggest broom to sweep here,” Mosimane told reporters after his appointment.
The coach said the World Cup squad provided a strong foundation, but injuries and emerging talent meant changes were unavoidable.
Mosimane also wants to use the upcoming international friendly against Egypt to give opportunities to players who have struggled for game time.
“The main focus is the two qualifiers and we also have a friendly game to give opportunities to players who were not given a chance in the past,” Mosimane said.
The approach has been welcomed by former Bafana coach Jomo Sono, who has urged Mosimane not to make wholesale changes given the limited preparation time before the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
“The foundation is there. That guy (Broos), he built a foundation for Pitso,” Sono told Radio 2000. He warned Mosimane against attempting to build an entirely new team so soon before competitive matches.
Mosimane’s appointment was confirmed by SAFA last week, marking his third spell in charge of Bafana.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
