22 June 2021 – Bafana Bafana assistant coach, Helman Mkhalele who will be in charge of the COSAFA Cup tournament, has named a 20-man squad for the upcoming Regional competition to run from 7-18 July in Gqeberha in the Nelson Mandela Bay.
South Africa has been drawn in the Group A together with Botswana, ESwatini and Lesotho that is being coached by former u20 coach Thabo Senong.
Mkhalele who will be assisted by u17 head coach, Vela Khumalo has also named four players on standby in case of withdrawals from the current squad.
The former Bafana Bafana flying winger who started his Senior Men’s National Team coaching career with a bang against Uganda Cranes, will be aiming to take this new-look Bafana Bafana side further in the tournament. Bafana Bafana beat the East Africans 3-2 in a friendly international two weeks ago with a squad comprising mostly youngsters and Mkhalele has retained some of those who did duty against Uganda.
These include Kaizer Chiefs rising goalkeeper Bruce Bvuma, Swallows’ Njabulo Ngcobo, Ethan Brooks (TS Galaxy) and Maritzburg United’s Bongokuhle Hlongwane.
Bafana Bafana goes into camp this week before traveling to Eastern Cape for final preparations and the tournament itself.
Bafana Bafana Squad for the COSAFA Cup in Gqeberha 7-18 July 2021
Goalkeepers:
Bruce Bvuma (Kaizer Chiefs FC)
Sifiso Mlungwana (Golden Arrows FC)
Defenders:
Rushine De Reuck (Mamelodi Sundowns FC)
Denwin Farmer (Baroka FC)
Siyabonga Ngezana (Kaizer Chiefs FC)
Njabulo Ngcobo (Moroka Swallows FC)
Keenan Phillips (Supersport United FC)
Mashweu Mphahlele (Baroka FC)
Sifiso Ngobeni (Bloemfontein Celtic FC)
Bongani Sam (Orlando Pirates FC)
Midfielders:
Sphelele Mkhulise (Mamelodi Sundowns FC)
Ethan Brooks (TS Galaxy FC)
Siyethemba Sithebe (AmaZulu FC)
Kgaogelo Sekgota (Moroka Swallows FC)
Tiklas Thutlwa (Black Leopards FC)
Happy Mashiane (Kaizer Chiefs FC)
Vincent Pule (Orlando Pirates FC)
Goodman Mosele (Baroka FC)
Strikers:
Tshegofatso Mabasa (Orlando Pirates FC)
Bongokuhle Hlongwane (Maritzburg United FC)