COLUMN: Ruck&Maul
From no-hopers and the butt of jokes in Mzansi to potential qualification for the 2026 Fifa World Cup, it has been a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for Bafana Bafana under coach Hugo Broos.
And the exciting journey continues over the next week, as South Africa face Lesotho on Friday and Benin next Tuesday in two vital World Cup qualifiers.
While the wily old mentor Broos has been praised for being a straight-talker – often standing up to club bosses and even Safa officials when things are not what they are supposed to be for Bafana – one major factor that stands out for me is his team selections.
Unlike some of his predecessors, the 72-year-old Belgian doesn’t subscribe to the ‘big-club mentality’ when he picks his squads.
You don’t HAVE to play for Kaizer Chiefs, Orlando Pirates or Mamelodi Sundowns to be chosen for Bafana Bafana – and that has resulted in impressive depth and added a layer of inclusivity in the national team ranks and support from across the country.
We all praised the SA side for their thrilling run in the Africa Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast, where they finished third.
And part of the reason for that support is the eclectic mix of players that Broos picks all the time.
That was the case in his latest 23-man squad – as well as the preliminary group – for Friday’s clash against Lesotho in Polokwane and next Tuesday’s showdown against Benin in Abidjan.
Broos is not scared to select someone who stars for a ‘small club’. Although some of them have now moved to giants such as Sundowns, all of Jayden Adams, Iqraam Rayners, Thabo Moloisane and Fawaaz Basadien rose to prominence at Stellenbosch FC.
Bathusi Aubaas was outstanding for TS Galaxy for several seasons, and was selected for Bafana while at Tim Sukazi’s club before joining Masandawana for the 2023-24 season.
We all know the genius of Oswin Appollis at Polokwane City – and the number of big clubs still chasing his signature.
Now Appollis has a club-mate in Ndamulelo Rodney Maphangule joining him from Polokwane City in the Bafana set-up this week.
And if you go even further, you will remember that the likes of captain Ronwen Williams and stalwart midfielders Teboho Mokoena and Aubrey Modiba became household names at SuperSport United before joining Sundowns.
And just on Tuesday, Modiba was replaced – as he is expecting the birth of his child – by another newcomer in Sekhukhune United left back Vuyo Letlapa.
Pirates defender Nkosinathi Sibisi is another one in a similar boat, having featured for Golden Arrows for seven years before joining the Buccaneers.
Bafana Bafana in Polokwane ahead of the FIFA World Cup qualifier against Lesotho at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Human Rights Day on Friday, 21 March 2025.#BafanaPride @SABC_Sport pic.twitter.com/dCjbW1Xvzx
Perhaps it is also that hunger that was cultivated at their former clubs that has driven these players to the top for club and country, as they had to work extra hard to join the likes of Sundowns and Pirates.
It is disappointing that there isn’t a single Kaizer Chiefs player in the current Bafana group due to defender Rushwin Dortley’s knee injury, which required an operation and will keep him out for several months.
Some Amakhosi fans wanted in-form goalkeeper Bruce Bvuma included ahead of SuperSport United’s Ricardo Goss, but their lack of Bafana players is a reflection on Chiefs’ current struggles too.
But Broos is not shy to unearth these ‘hidden gems’, and that kind of approach has worked wonders for Bafana in recent years.
Let’s hope that it culminates in the treasure chest of qualification for the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
* Ashfak Mohamed is the deputy sports editor at Independent Media.
Bafana Bafana Squad
Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams (Sundowns), Ricardo Goss (SuperSport), Sipho Chaine (Pirates)
Defenders: Sydney Mobbie (SuperSport), Thabo Moloisane (Stellenbosch), Nkosinathi Sibisi (Pirates), Vuyo Letlapa (Sekhukhune), Siyabonga Ngezana (FCSB), Khuliso Mudau (Sundowns), Fawaaz Basadien (Stellenbosch), Grant Kekana (Sundowns)
Midfielders: Teboho Mokoena (Sundowns), Jayden Adams (Sundowns), Bathusi Aubaas (Sundowns), Ndamulelo Rodney Maphangule (Polokwane City), Thalente Mbatha (Pirates), Thapelo Morena (Sundowns), Elias Mokwana (Esperance), Oswin Appollis (Polokwane)
Forwards: Iqraam Rayners (Sundowns), Relebohile Mofokeng (Pirates), Lyle Foster (Burnley), Percy Tau (Qatar SC)