The 27-year-old heads to AFCON with South Africa on the back of a rejuvenated season in which he rediscovered his best form with the Buccaneers. He last tasted international tournament football in 2017 at the Under-20 AFCON with Amajita, but now has the chance to showcase his talent on the big stage with the senior national team. Much is expected of him at the tournament in Morocco as he looks to repay coach Hugo Broos for the faith shown in him.
The 73-year-old former Kaizer Chiefs tactician has raised a similar concern to what Hugo Broos highlighted as he prepares Bafana for the Africa Cup of Nations. Bafana have been training without players who are still attached to their clubs in Europe. According to Broos, it is only possible for those stars to link up with the rest a few days before the tournament begins in Morocco.
The 20-year-old found himself in hot water with his national team coach after arriving late for AFCON camp in Pretoria. He had missed his flight from Durban after being granted two days off to recover from the Buccaneers’ participation in the Carling Knockout final. The incident infuriated the Belgian tactician, who did not hold back in publicly castigating the defender’s actions.
The former Orlando Pirates striker will head straight to Morocco after South Africa coach Hugo Broos indicated that his Europe-based stars will team up with the rest of his squad at the continental tournament. That rules him out of Tuesday's international friendly match against Ghana at Dobsonville Stadium. But being someone who has been in the national team setup for a while, his absence from the early stages of camp is likely not to show.
The 27-year-old was given a lifeline by the Buccaneers after being discarded by Mamelodi Sundowns when his career appeared to be heading downhill. He has since silenced his critics by rejuvenating his game at the Soweto giants, earning himself a return to the national team on the back of consistent performances. Now enjoying some good form, he is widely expected to play a key role for South Africa at the continental competition.
In an attempt to clear himself of the allegations made against him, the Bafana tactician has broken his silence over the matter. The experienced coach has been under fire since he called out the defender for reporting late to the camp. A frustrated Broos criticised the Chicago Fire's new signing and his agent, as well as Orlando Pirates.
As Broos deals with the storm, his comments on the Chicago Fire defender generated, he has singled out what he will not tell the Bafana Bafana players before and during the AFCON finals. The Belgian has also revealed the pressure he gets from the fans, who are hopeful that Mzansi will do well in Morocco. After reaching the semi-finals in the last edition, Bafana are seen as among the pre-tournament favourites.
Broos' attack on the Bafana defender continues to dominate the headlines as South Africa focus on the Africa Cup of Nations finals. The Chicago Fire's new signing reported to the camp late, disappointing his head coach, who made controversial comments against the player and his agent. The Belgian also attacked Bucs and claimed the MTN8 and Carling Knockout champions were defending the player.
The reigning Premier Soccer League champions are in Botswana, where they took part in a tournament, as most of their players were not involved in the forthcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), starting December 21 to January 18 in Morocco. Masandawana showed their class, reaping their opponents apart as the technical team continues working on their tactics.
The Brazilians were in terrific form in the tournament, showcasing their class. They first swept past their semi-final opponents to storm into the final, setting the tone for a dominant tournament decider. Their opponents had narrowly edged TAFIC 1-0 to book a spot in the final, but were then humiliated by the Tshane giants in the final. Overall, Masandawana underlined their superiority throughout the tournament.
As South Africa prepare to grace the Africa Cup of Nations, Broos found himself dealing with a storm generated by his comments on the Chicago Fire defender. While explaining his disappointment over the MTN8 and Carling Knockout champion, the Belgian used words that have put him under intensive scrutiny. Now, a top government official has waded into the debate and revealed what he is waiting for in regard to what Broos said.
As Bafana look forward to their participation in the continental finals again, their camp has been hit with a controversy involving head coach Hugo Broos' comments. Mohamed Salah, on the other hand, is also heading to the AFCON finals after an explosive tirade against his Premier League club. Both these off-pitch incidents are expected to add more spotlight to Egypt's and South Africa's campaigns.
The World Football Governing Body gave clubs powers to retain players until just six days before the biennial competition kicks off in North Africa. Many teams have been negatively affected, including South Africa, who have been forced to leave behind some key players scheduled to join them in Morocco later.
The Warriors are among the 24 nations on the continent that will be in action in the next couple of days, hoping to make a statement in North Africa. However, they will have to do without former Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns winger, alongside a Premier Soccer League midfielder who insists he was ready to represent his country.
The 20-year-old former Orlando Pirates defender, who recently joined a Major League Soccer outfit, Chicago Fire, found himself on the receiving end after failing to report to the South African residential camp on time. The 73-year-old Belgian tactician did not take it lightly, as anticipated, since he loves players who are disciplined.
The 28-year-old former Kaizer Chiefs defender played a crucial role in helping the Red and Blues claim maximum points in a seven-goal thriller staged at the National Arena in Bucharest. The Romanian heavyweights started the campaign on a low note but are seemingly getting it right in the crucial stage of Europe's second-tier competition.
South Africa coach Hugo Broos announced his squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations finals, and as expected, there were prominent names missing from the Belgian's selection. One of the players whose omission triggered debate is the Wydad Casablanca attacker. He did not even appear in the preliminary squad and has, over a period of time, not been considered for national duty.
The 24-year-old winger is one of the players who featured at the last edition of the continental tournament in Ivory Coast, even though he was used only sparingly at the time. Back then, he was still turning out for Polokwane City before securing a big move to the Buccaneers ahead of the current season. The national team coach has since highlighted the significant improvement shown by the Cape Town-born star.
South African political party, United Democratic Movement (UDM), has angrily reacted to the utterances made by the Belgian coach as he took aim at his defender and the player's agent who facilitated the transfer from the Buccaneers to North America. The political party has deemed the coach's remarks as inappropriate, leading to them approaching the Human Rights Commission with a complaint.
The South African national team will head into the final stages of their preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations, as they prepare to face Ghana in their last international friendly before stepping onto the big stage against Angola in their opening match on December 22, where they look to break more boundaries while raising the Mzansi flag high.
Both the former Orlando Pirates defender and the South Africa tactician have been trending since Wednesday, just 10 days before the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) that is set to begin in Morocco from December 21 to January 18. The new Chicago Fire defender was on the receiving end for failing to meet his end of the bargain in the national team's preparations.
The Naturena-based outfit has, over the past few seasons, struggled to fully demonstrate its big club status in the Premier Soccer League, consistently falling short and finishing the campaign outside the top eight. However, despite their struggles last season, they managed to break their long-standing trophy drought by being crowned champions of the Nedbank Cup, a moment widely viewed as the start of new beginnings. That success appears to have carried into the 2025/26 season, with the club opening the campaign on a high note and delivering performances strong enough to position themselves among the recognised league title chasers.
In the last couple of months, 'Nyoso' has been trending after being overlooked by the South Africa technical bench despite his rich form in North Africa, where he is delivering for the Red Castle domestically and abroad. According to the 73-year-old Belgian coach, the former Buccaneers' attacker has nothing to bring in the team.
When the Belgian announced his 23-man squad headed to Morocco for this year’s Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON], there were some surprises. The 73-year-old tactician left tongues wagging with some of his choices, leaving out some big names and experienced campaigners. Broos also included a couple of youngsters, some of whom will be in the senior national team setup for the very first time.
The 20-year-old defender secured a reported $3 million (R50 million) transfer to Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire, but will join them only after representing South Africa at the Africa Cup of Nations. He played his final match for Orlando Pirates in the Carling Knockout Cup final, helping the Buccaneers lift the trophy before this new chapter abroad.
The South Africans last tasted continental glory almost 30 years ago on home soil, and with a hard-earned bronze medal from the most recent showpiece in the Ivory Coast, the spotlight shifts back onto Bafana Bafana as the nation eagerly watches to see whether this squad can push further and revive their pursuit of AFCON supremacy.
South Africa
