Bafana Bafana Squad – Talking Points

Molefi Ntseki announced his squad for Bafana Bafana’s decisive Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Ghana (25 March) and Sudan (28 March) on Thursday. For the most part, the former youth coach stuck to his guns when he might have been tempted to ruffle feathers.

This does not mean that none of his selections have been controversial -quite the opposite, in fact. However, Ntseki has decided that the time to re-invent the wheel is not now as he looks to guide South Africa to their second straight Africa Cup of Nations tournament appearance.

Ntseki Sticks with the Old Guard

Dean Furman, Bongani Zungu, Keagan Dolly and Itumeleng Khune are among those in the squad despite struggling for game time at club level.

In fairness to Ntseki, he was criticised for including Furman in his squad for the double-header against São Tomé and Príncipe, but the Carlisle United midfielder proved to be one of South Africa’s standout performers.

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Ntseki’s selections have rarely been popular and South Africa’s performances under him have not been hugely impressive, but they have also not been significantly worse (if at all) than under the experienced Stuart Baxter. South Africa are in prime position to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations and Ntseki has little reason to deviate from a (mostly) winning formula.

Zungu and Khune Given the Benefit of the Doubt

The selections of Zungu and Khune were particularly noteworthy, given that both players have had particularly troubled times of late. The Rangers midfielder put his future with the Scottish club in jeopardy by breaching COVID-19 protocols.

While Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Khune has been accused of the same offence, the circumstances of that alleged incident are less clear. However, Khune has been haunted by personal problems, alleged disciplinary issues, injuries and poor form for some time and it is this prolonged period of malaise in his career that has prompted criticism of Ntseki for sticking with the former Bafana Bafana captain.

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It is difficult to disagree with Ntseki’s decision to keep Zungu in his side. After all, the midfielder has been shown enough tough love over the past year. He found himself at loggerheads with Ntseki over his omission from the squad in March 2020 and has been used sparingly both by the national team coach and club boss and idol Steven Gerrard.

By now, surely, Zungu needs to be reminded not of all that has gone wrong in the last 12 months, but of what a supremely talented player he is. Experienced and capable of contributing on defence and attack alike, he has plenty to offer in a crucial month for South Africa.

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Whether or not the same can be said of Khune at present is complicated. On the one hand, his performances alone have not merited an inclusion in the squad and he is likely to be in a difficult frame of mind. On the other, he remains a talented and hugely experienced member of the squad who might be able to contribute without taking to the field of play and should still have time to get his club and international careers back on track.

New Old Faces?

It is worth noting that Ntseki said of Southampton starlet Kgaogelo Chauke, as per : “He will be in the team for the U23s, he needs to be blended in because he doesn’t understand the culture and social cohesion.

“He grew up overseas, he doesn’t understand the culture and what’s happening in South Africa. He needs to have that social cohesion and a technical understanding of our players because he grew up and was developed with players from England.

“We are helping such players because coach David is part of the selection and preparation of Bafana Bafana so he will be given an opportunity to go and play with the U23.”

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Chauke’s omission from the squad would have been understandable on its own. However, it appears to be part of a wider trend of not trusting youngsters and allowing older South African players to get their national team debuts instead.

By all means, the door should be open even to players in their 30s to contribute to the team if they are good enough. However, it is important that not only older players are allowed to make international debuts, or else some players will slip through the cracks entirely and others will never reach their full potential.

The likes of Luke le Roux and Gift Links should be seeing regular game time by now, while Luther Singh should be one of the first names on the team sheet. Ntseki may not have to address this before the end of this month, but he certainly does if he keeps his job in years to come.

Gordon Igesund was brave to throw Furman into the fold almost out of nowhere and that paid dividends. While Bafana Bafana has also had its share of overseas-based flops over the years, Ntseki would be well-advised to trust his talented young players and make them feel part of the team from the get-go. If he does not try, we as a nation may never know what might have been.

Madisha to be missed

The last time South Africa were on Africa Cup of Nations qualiyfing duty, Motjeka Madisha was part of their squad. The tragedy of his passing lies not only in the immediate loss, but also the loss of the man and footballer who he could have become.

Given the chance, Madisha may well have followed in the footsteps of Thulani ‘Tyson’ Hlatshwayo and gone on to become Bafana Bafana’s permanent captain. The former Mamelodi Sundowns centre-back’s absence is bound to leave a void in the squad, which might be difficult to overcome, but also might make for a more motivated South Africa side.