French Ligue 1-linked former Kaizer Chiefs defender Siyabonga Ngezana throws his FCSB future in doubt insisting 'I don't know if I will be their player after AFCON

Siyabonga Ngezana came through the ranks at Kaizer Chiefs and cemented his place in the senior team from 2017 to 2023.

While with the Glamour Boys, he played the Nedbank Cup final in the 2018/19 season, he was also part of the Amakhosi team that won the 2021 Carling Black Label Cup and played a crucial role as the Soweto giants reaching the CAF Champions League final in the 2020/21 edition, but were undone by Al Ahly.

Ngezana further won Bronze with the South Africa U23 team in the 2019 U23 Africa Cup of Nations.

FCSB came for his services in 2023 and has since been a revelation. He has since won back-to-back Liga 1 titles and the Romanian Cup.

Ngezana made the Liga 1 Team of the Season in the last two seasons and was crowned the 2024 Defender of the Season.

Ngezana's agent has initially revealed interest in the player following his exploits with the Romanian heavyweights across all competitions.

The Bafana Bafana international has been linked with moves to Belgium, France, and Spain, among other leagues that are ranked higher than the Romanian Ligue 1.

The 28-year-old has always made his ambition and goal known: "I made sacrifices to become the best,” Ngezana stated.

“Leaving my family at home was not an easy decision to make. I went through a tough time at first.

“It’s a big achievement for me just to come here and play in Europe and win something. It means a lot, but I can’t say it’s enough.

“I still have dreams to achieve. I want to play in Germany, France, England, and Spain," he further explained.

Ngezana played a starring role in his last game for FCSB this year, which was in the Europa League against Feyenoord. He was on target as his team claimed a 4-3 win at the National Arena to sustain their chances of advancing.

In his interview with Fanatik, he stated he is not sure about returning to the club after the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

"The criticism didn’t really affect me. This is the job of a footballer. You have to be mentally strong. These kinds of matches build character. What happens has to stay in the locker room,” Ngezana opened up.

“I don’t know if I will still be an FCSB player after AFCON. We never know what the future holds. We’ll see. My focus right now is on the Africa Cup of Nations.

“I wish the team success in the remaining matches, and I hope we make the play-offs," he concluded.

Currently, Ngezana is with the Bafana Bafana squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations that will be played in Morocco starting Sunday, December 23.

Chances are high that he will partner  Mbekezeli Mbokazi at the heart of the South Africa defence with the first game coming on Monday 22nd against Angola. They will then play Egypt, who have won the crown seven times, on the 26th before completing Group B matches three days later.

It will not be an easy outing for Bafana Bafana, who won bronze in 2023, as explained by coach Hugo Broos in an initial interview.

“I have already told the players that our status is a little different from the previous AFCON. In the previous AFCON, we were just one of the teams. Maybe today we are one of the teams that can win AFCON,” the former Cameroon coach told the media. 

“That means, I’m sure of it, that our opponents will have a different mindset when they play against us than they did two years ago. We have to be prepared for that.

“I’m not nervous because I still believe in what I did in the past years in the team, even when there are some new players, young players with us. But I know what we can do, I know how good we are," Broos added.

“To see the progression of Bafana in the last two years, then you have in mind the game against Nigeria a few months ago, now we can also play with power, we can also resist power. That means we don’t have to be afraid of AFCON. I also read left and right that some countries are saying that South Africa can win AFCON. 

“So maybe we are now one of the favourites, the many favourites because when you see the teams who are now at AFCON, and you compare two years ago, I think this AFCON will be much tougher," he added.