Former Kaizer Chiefs tactician Molefi Ntseki can help the delinquent Orlando Pirates winger Monnapule Saleng by naming him in the two matches Bafana Bafana will play against Egypt over the next two Sundays.
The first-round African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifier against Egypt will be played over two legs, and although Saleng, a massive fan favourite at the Soweto giants, has yet to play this season, the game time could help his conditioning.
Bafana Bafana’s CHAN squad is in training in Bloemfontein ahead of Sunday’s match at Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein (kick-off is at 17h00). Saleng is finally back in action as he is training with his Bafana Bafana teammates in Bloemfontein.
As a result of ongoing disputes behind the scenes with Pirates, Saleng has not played football in over two months. Ntseki, who has taken over as the coach of Bafana Bafana’s CHAN squad, could provide the springboard for the star to play again.
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos said CHAN and COSAF are necessary experiences for players coming through the ranks ahead of being capped for the national team.
“In the previous CHAN and COSAFA, we were knocked out because we didn’t have the good players. Those are competitions where you need to expose good young players,” said Broos.
“When you look at other African countries, they have many of their many local players, and some of the first team players are playing in CHAN or COSAfa.
“But with us, when you look at the likes of (winger Elias) Mokwana and (Oswin) Appollis, they had no minutes in international football before they joined us.
“So, these competitions are an international experience and something players who are coming from other teams don’t have when they come to Bafana Bafana.”
The notable inclusions in the CHAN squad are Kaizer Chiefs DStv Diski Challenge captain Aden McCarthy, Mamelodi Sundowns trio Jody February, Neo Maema, and Terrence Mashego.
SAFA technical committee chairman Jack Maluleke revealed that the SA Football Association opted for Ntseki because Helman Mkhalele was busy preparing Bafana Bafana for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin in a few weeks.
Ntseki will be assisted by Raymond Mdaka, the coach of South Africa’s Under-20 team, also known as Amajita.
