Bafana coach Ntseki names squad for Afcon qualifiers against Ghana and Sudan
Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki recalled Bidvest Wits left-back Sifiso Hlanti and utility attacker Aubrey Modiba to his 25-man squad for the next month’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers against Ghana and Sudan.
Bafana face Ghana away in Accra on Thursday (November 14) and then host Sudan at Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Sunday (November 17).
Hlanti returns from injury while SuperSport United’s Modiba comes in for injured Montpellier winger Keagan Dolly.
Given the compressed nature of the two matches and limited time for preparation between Bafana reporting for camp on Sunday (November 10) and playing Ghana away four days later‚ Ntseki said they did some of their preparation work in last month’s 2-1 Nelson Mandela Challenge win over Mali in Port Elizabeth.
“So we have decided to keep 90 percent of the team that played against Mali‚” Ntseki said when he announced the squad in Johannesburg on Tuesday morning.
South Africa are drawn in Group C of qualification programme for the 2021 Nations Cup in Cameroon.
São Tomé and Príncipe‚ who are ranked 190th in the world‚ are the minnows of the group where the top two teams will qualify for the tournament.
Other teams in the group‚ Ghana are ranked 51st while Sudan 128th and South Africa are currently ranked 72nd.
Bafana reached the quarterfinals of the 2019 Afcon finals in June and July under Ntseki’s predecessor Stuart Baxter where they shocked hosts Egypt in the last-16 round.
Bafana squad
Goalkeepers:
Darren Keet (OH Leuven‚ Belgium)‚ Ronwen Williams (SuperSport United)‚ Ricardo Goss (Bidvest Wits)
Defenders:
Thulani Hlatshwayo (Bidvest Wits)‚ Eric Mathoho (Kaizer Chiefs)‚ Buhle Mkhwanazi (Bidvest Wits)‚ Sifiso Hlanti (Bidvest Wits)‚ Innocent Maela (Orlando Pirates)‚ Mosa Lebusa (Mamelodi Sundowns)‚ Thapelo Morena (Mamelodi Sundowns)‚ Thamsanqa Mkhize (Cape Town City)
Midfielders:
Dean Furman (SuperSport United)‚ Thulani Serero (Al-Jazira‚ United Arab Emirates)‚ Themba Zwane (Mamelodi Sundowns)‚ Kamohelo Mokotjo (Brentford‚ England)‚ Bongani Zungu (Amiens SC)‚ Thato Mokeke (Cape Town City)‚ Thembinkosi Lorch (Orlando Pirates)‚ Lebogang Phiri (Guingamp‚ France)‚ Mothobi Mvala (Highlands Park)‚ Aubrey Modiba (SuperSport United)
Strikers:
Percy Tau (Club Brugge)‚ Kermit Erasmus (Cape Town City)‚ Lebohang Mothiba (Strasbourg‚ France)‚ Bradley Grobler (SuperSport United)