Bafana coach welcomes back Tau, Mothiba and Zungu for qualifiers

Molefi Ntseki, coach of South Africa

Tuesday Oct 29, 2019. 13:00

Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki has been able to recall previously injured overseas-based stars Percy Tau, Lebo Mothiba and Bongani Zungu for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Ghana and Sudan next month.

Ntseki named his squad in Johannesburg on Tuesday for the trip to Ghana and the home clash with Sudan that kick-off the road to the finals in Cameroon.

The trio all missed the 2-1 friendly win with Mali in Port Elizabeth this month, and Zungu has yet to return to action for his French Ligue 1 side Amiens.

Tau and Mothiba have been playing though, and there are also recalls for full-backs Sifiso Hlanti and Thamsanqa Mkhize, who sat out the Mali game with knocks.

But Ntseki, who replaced Stuart Baxter after the latter led the side to the quarterfinals of the Nations Cup in Egypt this year, has largely stuck with the team that faced Mali, though he is without injured Montpellier winger Keagan Dolly, who has been replaced by Aubrey Modiba.

“If it is not broken, why fix it?” Ntseki said. “We have decided to keep the bulk of the team because they already understand what we want to do, and you will recall this will be my third camp with them – even though we did not play a match in the first one.

“So it was important to keep that consistency as we also don’t have too much (time) to work on things seeing that we are playing two matches in a space of three days, which also involves significant travelling.”

Bafana Bafana’s opening match is away to Ghana on Thursday November 14 in Accra (kick-off 21h00 SA time). They then host Sudan at the Orlando Stadium on Sunday, November 17 at 15h00.

South Africa squad:

Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams (SuperSport United), Darren Keet (OH Leuven, Belgium), Ricardo Goss (BidVest Wits)

Defenders: Thulani Hlatshwayo (BidVest Wits), Erick Mathoho (Kaizer Chiefs), Buhle Mkhwanazi (BidVest Wits), Innocent Maela (Orlando Pirates), Thapelo Morena (Mamelodi Sundowns), Sifiso Hlanti (BidVest Wits), Thamsanqa Mkhize (Cape Town City), Mosa Lebusa (Mamelodi Sundowns)

Midfielders: Kamohelo Mokotjo (Brentford, England), Bongani Zungu, (Amiens, France) Thato Mokeke (Cape Town City), Dean Furman (SuperSport United), Lebogang Phiri (Guingamp, France), Mothobi Mvala (Highlands Park), Themba Zwane (Mamelodi Sundowns), Thembinkosi Lorch (Orlando Pirates), Thulani Serero (Al-Jazira, UAE), Aubrey Modiba (SuperSport United)

Forwards: Lebo Mothiba (Strasbourg, France), Bradley Grobler (SuperSport United), Kermit Erasmus (Cape Town City), Percy Tau (Club Brugge, Belgium)