Former Mamelodi Sundowns star weighs in on Pitso Mosimane Bafana squad

Former Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Brent Carelse has shared thoughts on Pitso Mosimane's first Bafana Bafana squad since returning as the South African national team head coach.

The 62-year-old tactician succeeded Belgian mentor Hugo Broos, and is set to kickstart his second spell as Bafana boss with the 2027 Africa Cup Of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea, including a friendly match against Egypt.

His maiden squad has naturally been met with skepticism from a section of the South African football fraternity, particularly the decision to include Thabang Matuludi, who was yet to make an appearance this season at the time of the squad announcement.

Carelse, however, takes no issue with the composition of the team, hailing Mosimane for strengthening the national team with players he believes were constantly overlooked under the previous regime.

“What I like is that he's brought in players that I actually thought would be in the squad before, really - your Shandre Campbell, Tashreeq Matthews, and Luther Singh,” the ex-Bafana international told Foot Africa in an exclusive interview.

"I was surprised that those players weren't part of the national team for the World Cup. I just thought that they could bring some experience, especially the younger ones like Shandre and [Puso] Dithejane. I think players like that are the future of Bafana Bafana.

"So, I'm glad that he's brought them in. I think he's spiced up the team a little bit with those players, but also he's kept the core of the players who've got experience like [Teboho] Mokoena and Ronwen [Williams], who will assist these young ones.

"But if you check, I think he wants to build a team that can go all the way for the nations cup [AFCON], so I'm very impressed so far. I was at the training the other day in the weekend, and you can see the players are hungry to play and to perform for him.

While the retired utility player is pleased with the team selection under the three-time CAF Champions League winner, he is wary of of the threat posed by Guinea in the opening match of Bafana's AFCON qualifying campaign.

“It's a tough one, it's very tough in Africa. I'm expecting a very tough game against Guinea because they are not a pushover. It's going to be a big test for the coach as well as the players,” Carelse added.

"I'm hoping that these fresh legs or these fresh players that are coming into the squad will obviously give us a renewed energy and give us a new excitement. I think for instance, Maseko got his opportunity in the World Cup and he impressed.

"And that's also a reason why a lot of clubs in Europe were interested in him, but that just shows that there are players that we haven't seen a lot of but they are there, and they can actually do well for the country.

"So, I'm excited about this squad and I'm excited about the game against Guinea. If we can just be consistent as we've been in the last few games before the World Cup and take it from there - I think we can do well against Guinea.

"I'm not saying we're going to win 3-0 or 4-0, but I think we'll win but I know it's going to be a tough game.

Notably, South Africa are unbeaten in their last two meetings against the West African nation, having secured a 2-1 win in the African Nations Championship (CHAN) in August 2025, and settled for a goalless draw in a friendly match in March 2022.

Hlayisani Magoro

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Football journalist from South Africa covering African football news, exclusive stories and key events while sharing insights with passionate fans of the game.

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