Bafana Bafana head coach Stuart Baxter has included Swiss-based defender Joel Untersee and Crystal Palace’s Nikola Tavares in his 30-man provisional squad for the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament to be held in Egypt next month.
Baxter says the two players who are yet to kick the ball for Bafana are still in the process of finalising their paperwork that will make them eligible to play for South Africa.
Baxter has gone for the tried and tested in his squad selecting largely the players he’s used in the AFCON qualifiers.
The Bafana squad goes into camp on the second of next month and will be in the country until the 12th before they depart for Dubai where they will finalise their preparations before going to Egypt.
They play their opening game on the 24th against Cote D’Ivoire, before facing Namibia on the 28th and Morocco on the first of July.
Baxter says they will now only fly into the United Arab Emirates for the final warm-up matches.
Baxter has previously said that he will be taking some few youngsters to the AFCON as part of SAFA Vision 2022 and with most of these players forming part of the COSAFA Cup squad and not in the 30-man team he announced this afternoon, how is he going to achieve this…?
When Baxter selected the squad to play Libya in the final qualifier in March, a lot of questions were asked about the omission of Cape Town City striker Kermit Erasmus but this time around he is in the team and will have to fight for his place in the final camp. – Report by Velile Mnyandu
GOALKEEPERS: PLAYER’S NAME CLUB
1. Darren KEET Bidvest Wits FC (SA
2. Ronwen WILLIAMS Supersport United FC (SA)
3. Bruce BVUMA Kaizer Chiefs FC (SA)
DEFENDERS:
4. Daniel CARDOSO Kaizer Chiefs FC (SA)
5. Rivaldo COETZEE Mamelodi Sundowns FC (SA)
6. Ramahlwe MPHAHLELE Kaizer Chiefs FC (SA)
7. Thulani HLATSHWAYO Bidvest Wits FC (SA)
8. Innocent MAELA Orlando Pirates FC (SA)
9. S’Fiso HLANTI Bidvest Wits FC (SA)
10. Buhlebuyeza MKHWANAZI Bidvest Wits FC (SA)
11. Thamsanqa MKHIZE Cape Town City FC (SA)
MIDFIELDERS:
12. Bongani ZUNGU Amiens SC FC (FRANCE)
13. Hlompho KEKANA Mamelodi Sundowns FC (SA)
14. Dean FURMAN Supersport United FC (SA)
15. Kamohelo MOKOTJO Brentford FC (ENGLAND)
16. Tiyani MABUNDA Mamelodi Sundowns FC (SA)
17. Thulani SERERO SBV Vitesse FC (Netherlands)
18. Thembinkosi LORCH Orlando Pirates FC (SA)
19. Themba ZWANE Mamelodi Sundowns FC (SA)
20. Fortune MAKARINGE Maritzburg United FC (SA)
21. Ben MOTSHWARI Orlando Pirates FC (SA)
22. Keagan DOLLY Montpellier FC (FRANCE)
STRIKERS:
23. Lebo MOTHIBA Racing Club De Strasbourg FC (France)
24. Percy TAU Royal Union Saint FC (Belgium)
25. Lars VELDWIJK Sparta Rotterdam FC (NED)
26. Lebogang MABOE Mamelodi Sundowns FC (SA)
27. Sibusiso VILAKAZI Mamelodi Sundowns FC (SA)
28. Kermit ERASMUS Cape Town City FC (SA)
29. defender Nikola TAVARES Crystal Palace FC (ENGLAND)
30. defender Joel UNTERESEE FC Zurich (Switzerland)
