THERE were no surprises in the Bafana Bafana 23-man squad for the two upcoming Fifa World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin with Stellenbosch defender Thabo Moloisane getting a well-deserved nod.
The 26-year old Moloisane has proven to be the main defence marshall for thriving Stellenbosch and his experiences with the winelands outfit in the Caf Confederations Cup this season no doubt twisted Bafana coach Hugo Broos’ arm the right direction.
No surprises as Moloisane makes the squad. pic.twitter.com/f0qOoGgnKr
— Malibongwe Mdletshe (@Malbingo) March 13, 2025
It is Moloisane’s first national team call-up as he joins the usual suspects Sydney Mobbie, Grant Kekana, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Aubrey Modiba, Siyabonga Ngezana, Khuliso Mudau and fellow Stellies stalwart Fawaaz Basadien.
Orlando Pirates’ Thalente Mbatha spices the central midfield which is all Mamelodi Sundowns players as the now Tshwane-based Jayden Adams makes the return into Broos’ good books.
Other Sundowns midfielders in the pond are Teboho Mokoena and Bathusi Aubaas.
Adams, for some months was not in good books with Broos, after the gaffer sent him back home in October due to his arriving late on camp.
In January Adams moved from Stellenbosch to Sundowns and has since embraced a new lease to life in the past two months.
In the forwards’ pack Burnley’s Lyle Foster and the Qatari-based Percy Tau are notable inclusions.
Also included are Polokwane City’s Oswin Appollis, Patrick Maswanganyi and Relebohile Mofokeng (both Pirates), with another former Stellenbosch man Iqraam Rayners making the cut and Esperance de Tunis’ Elias Mokwana.
Another good news for Broos is captain Ronwen Williams’ on-time recovery as he made the squad having not been included in the 37-man preliminary group due to injury.
Williams has since amassed some game time with two games for Sundowns, in the Nedbank Cup at the weekend and the Betway Premiership against AmaZulu on Tuesday night.
Bafana play Lesotho in Polokwane next Friday and Benin in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on Tuesday the 25th.
