Bafana boss Hugo Broos ponders final Afcon team amid Themba Zwane fitness concerns

There is no arguing that Themba Zwane is one of the best players to come out of South Africa. He is extremely professional, with dazzling feet and supreme dedication to his craft.

His lifestyle choices meant the attacking midfielder never really struggled with serious injuries since making a switch from amateur Tembisa club Vardo, to Mamelodi Sundowns in 2011.

But in 2025, age has caught up with Zwane, to the frustration of Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos — especially just before the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Morocco.

Ultimate playmaker

Under the Belgian tactician, the creative midfielder has become one of the most vital cogs for the senior men’s national soccer team.

Alongside key players such as Bafana Bafana captain and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, midfield maestro Teboho Mokoena and tireless right-back Khuliso Mudau — a fit and on-form Zwane is one of the first names in Broos’ team.

However, constant injuries over phe last few months have seen the Tembisa-raised soccer star spend more time on the sidelines than on the pitch. It’s been a major headache for Broos, although he has still managed with the players at his disposal.

Broos has tried playmakers such as Orlando Pirates trio Patrick Maswanganyi, Relebohile Mofokeng and Sipho Mbule in the No 10 role, which has been gaping amid Zwane’s injury woes.

“Sipho was with us from the first day I was here, and I saw what a good player he was,” said Broos on Mbule, who is the latest to try to fill the Zwane-sized gap in Bafana. “But he had interests other than football. And after a few times, I didn’t call him any more.

“When you look at Sipho’s career, he played for Sundowns. Now he plays for Pirates… He’s played for big teams. Look what a career he has had,” the Belgian added.

“So, when we were looking for a replacement for Themba, we tried Patrick and then we talked about Sipho. I said ‘You see how Sipho is playing?’ He had a good moment at Sekhukhune [United, last season], but it was again like that (he struggled with disciplinary issues). I talked with Helman [Mkhalele, assistant coach] and we said we would give him another chance.”

Generational talent

Mbule, Maswanganyi and winger Mofokeng are all stunning footballers. They are supremely talented in their own right. But they are not Zwane. Former Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena once explained the importance of Zwane to any team.

“You can’t replace Mshishi (Zwane). But of course, you can play without Mshishi. He is special and he is a generational talent,” Mokwena stated.

Over and above his capabilities with the ball, Zwane is a leader. With Broos favouring youth in the Bafana Bafana team, the 36-year-old’s presence may be even more significant in the dressing room than on the pitch.

These are thoughts Broos will be having as he works on selecting his final squad of a maximum of 27 players for Afcon. Broos recently announced a 54-player preliminary squad, mostly made up of locally based players.

This “local is lekker” formula has worked wonders for the Belgian and his technical team.

They claimed bronze at Afcon 2023 via this method. The South Africans recently qualified to participate in their first soccer World Cup since 2010, and again it was players plying their trade in the domestic Premier Soccer League who made up the bulk of this successful qualification run.

Selection headache

So, even without Zwane, Bafana Bafana remain a good team, especially when considering that he last featured for his club Sundowns on 14 September 2025, when he suffered an injury setback during a Premiership game against Magesi.

“He didn’t play [much] this season. So, for Afcon it will be difficult for Themba, very difficult. But yeah — I still hope for next year — but we will see,” Broos said at the beginning of November.

But there’s no arguing that Zwane’s presence elevates Bafana Bafana across different spheres. As such, Broos may squeeze him into his final selection for Afcon, where both the Belgian and South Africa are targeting a second gold medal.

Bafana Bafana won the continental tournament in 1996 under the stewardship of the late Clive Barker. Broos guided Cameroon to overall Afcon victory in 2017.

For the Morocco-hosted 2025 edition, which will be played between 21 December 2025 and 18 January 2026, the South Africans want to do better than the bronze they claimed during the 2023 edition in Ivory Coast.

As such, the deck that Broos and his assistant Mkhalele opt for in the tournament will be pivotal. DM