Playing at the highest level of the game is a dream shared by all footballers, and Orlando Pirates defender Thabiso Sesane is on the verge of making it a reality. This is after his maiden call-up to the senior national team last week.
After he was included in Hugo Broos’ preliminary squad, the 24-year-old is one of 23 players that will represent the country in back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Congo.
As part of a heavy Buccaneers contingent in the team named for the crucial fixtures, he could join four other club teammates in debuting for Bafana Bafana in 2024. The year itself has been a special one for “Pepe”, whose young Bucs career has featured a couple of loan spells away from the club. Upon his return, he had to bide his time before he could feature for the first team, making a few appearances on the bench before starting away to Sekhukhune United in March.
Sesane did not take long to establish himself as a first team regular and has been instrumental in helping the club secure two cup titles within four months. His contribution in the most recent of these further underlined his importance to the Buccaneers as he produced a Man of the Match performance in contributing towards a historic third straight MTN8 title.
Looking back at the emotional moment when he discovered he was set for higher honours, the player revealed that he could not hold back the tears after receiving the call. “The time I found out I’m in Bafana Bafana squad, I was so happy,” he told orlandopiratesfc.com. “At the same time, I was crying. I called my mom, and she was so happy for me.”
No stranger to making the most of his playing opportunities, Sesane will be looking to do the same should he be afforded a chance over the two matches. He is in line to feature in Friday’s AFCON qualifier in Gqeberha as well as the return leg against The Leopards in Brazzaville next Tuesday.
The match at Nelson Mandela Bay kicks off at 19:00 while kick-off at Stade Alphonse Massemba-Débat is at 18:00.
