South Africa’s head coach Hugo Broos has fired the opening salvo ahead of the 2025 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, becoming the first manager to officially confirm his final tournament squad.
The continental spectacle kicks off in Morocco, and Bafana Bafana is drawn in a tricky Group B with Egypt, Angola, and Zambia and will once again bank on a blend of experience and emerging talent.
Broos, who masterminded South Africa’s impressive bronze-medal finish at the 2023 edition in Ivory Coast, has retained a solid core of ten players from that campaign.
Captain and shot-stopper Ronwen Williams returns to headline the goalkeeping trio alongside Ricardo Goss and Sipho Chaine.
In midfield and defence, the trusted Mamelodi Sundowns trio of Teboho Mokoena, Aubrey Modiba, and Khuliso Mudau reclaim their places after stellar performances two years ago.
They are joined by familiar faces Oswin Appollis, Evidence Makgopa, Siphephelo Sithole, Nkosinathi Sibisi, and Elias Mokwana, all of whom featured in the previous tournament.
Broos’ 25-man selection includes a modest foreign-based contingent, with only eight players plying their trade outside South Africa. These include England-based duo Tylon Smith (QPR) and Lyle Foster (Burnley), Romanian-based defender Siyabonga Ngezana, Norway’s Samukele Kabini, Portugal’s Siphephelo Sithole, as well as Saudi Arabia–based pair Elias Mokwana and Mohau Nkota, plus Shandre Campbell of Club Brugge in Belgium.
Notably, several household names have been left out of the travelling party. Veteran playmaker Themba Zwane, winger Percy Tau, and attacker Thembinkosi Lorch headline the surprising omissions, while striker Iqraam Rayners has been placed on standby.
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