South Africa coach Hugo Broos on Monday included 17 local-based players in his squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) from December 21 in Morocco.
Most of the 24 contenders will rely heavily on footballers based in Europe, with former champions Senegal unlikely to include any from their domestic league.
The 73-year-old Belgian tactician released a 28-man list for the premier African football tournament, including two travelling stand-bys, Tylon Smith and Shandre Campbell, and three who will remain in South Africa.
Central defender Smith is with English second-tier club Queens Park Rangers and winger Campbell plays for Belgian top-flight outfit Club Brugge.
‘Life as an international footballer’
“Neither is likely to play at the tournament, but I want them to experience life as an international footballer,” Broos said during an interview with the SABC.
Teams can choose up to 28 players for the biennial event, but only 23 will be funded by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) while in the north African kingdom.
As he did for the 2024 Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast, where Bafana Bafana finished third, Broos has put his faith in South African Betway Premiership stars.
He has included nine from Orlando Pirates and five from Mamelodi Sundowns, who occupy the top two places as the league approaches its halfway mark.
Fourth-placed Kaizer Chiefs have no representatives in the squad.
Among the Orlando Pirates contingent is 20-year-old centre-back Mbekezeli Mbokazi, who is reportedly poised to join Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire after the AFCON tournament.
Burnley striker Lyle Foster is the only inclusion from a club among the top five European leagues.
Survivors
There are 10 survivors from the 2024 AFCON squad, including captain and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, who saved four penalty shootout kicks in a quarter-final win over Cape Verde.
Speaking to the SABC from his Belgian home, Broos said he hopes to “at least reach the semi-finals again”.
South Africa face Angola, record seven-time champions Egypt and Zimbabwe in Group B.
Section winners and runners-up qualify for the knockout phase along with the best four of the six third-placed sides.
Bafana Bafana squad
Goalkeepers: Sipho Chaine (Orlando Pirates), Ricardo Goss (Siwelele), Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns, captain)
Defenders: Mbekezeli Mbokazi (Orlando Pirates), Nkosinathi Sibisi (Orlando Pirates), Aubrey Modiba (Mamelodi Sundowns), Khuliso Mudau (Mamelodi Sundowns), Samukele Kabini (Molde/NOR), Thabang Matuludi (Polokwane City), Khulumani Ndamane (TS Galaxy), Siyabonga Ngezana (FCSB/ROM)
Midfielders: Oswin Appollis (Orlando Pirates), Thalenthe Mbatha (Orlando Pirates), Sipho Mbule (Orlando Pirates), Relebohile Mofokeng (Orlando Pirates), Bathusi Aubaas (Mamelodi Sundowns), Teboho Mokoena (Mamelodi Sundowns), Elias Mokwana (Al Hazem/KSA), Sphephelo Sithole (Tondela/POR)
Forwards: Evidence Makgopa (Orlando Pirates), Tshepang Moremi (Orlando Pirates), Lyle Foster (Burnley/ENG), Mohau Nkota (Al Ettifaq/KSA)
Travelling stand-bys: Tylon Smith (Queens Park Rangers/ENG), Shandre Campbell (Club Brugge/BEL)
Non-travelling stand-bys: Thabo Moloisane (Stellenbosch), Iqraam Rayners (Sundowns), Mduduzi Shabalala (Kaizer Chiefs)
