Six Orlando Pirates players have been called up to South Africa’s senior men’s national squad named on Thursday afternoon. This is ahead of the next Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) Qualifiers which get underway later this month.
Bafana Bafana resume their bid to qualify for the continental showpiece held next year in Morocco with back-to-back games against Congo. They currently sit in second place in Group K, with four points earned after going unbeaten in their two opening fixtures.
In the 23-man squad named for the qualifiers, Bucs Academy product Thabiso Sesane is among the new faces after receiving his maiden call-up. The defender’s inclusion follows his consistent performances for the Soweto Giants since returning from loan ahead of the 2023/24 season.
Having made himself an integral part of the Pirates starting XI, he stands to earn a first senior international cap in the upcoming weeks. The 24-year-old will follow in the footsteps of teammates Thalente Mbatha and Sipho Chaine, who both debuted for Bafana during the previous international break.
The pair has been retained in the squad, along with the midfield duo of Relebohile Mofokeng and Patrick Maswanganyi. Also in the mix is defender Nkosinathi Sibisi, who has been a regular in the national setup throughout the year.
Bafana host The Leopards in Gqebera on Friday, 11 October before travelling to Brazzaville for the return fixture four days later. More Pirates stars could be involved in the AFCON Qualifiers kicking off next week with more national federations expected to finalise their squads in the coming days.
