Ronwen Williams and Hugo Broos at a Bafana Bafana training session and press conference held at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on 9 October 2025. (Photo: Darren Stewart / Gallo Images) 
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Bafana Bafana’s Hugo Broos has chosen his soldiers as South Africa prepares to battle for what the country hopes will be their most memorable Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) tournament since the 1996 edition on home soil.
That success, which came almost three decades ago, was orchestrated by the late Clive Barker. It added to the Springboks’ 1995 Rugby World Cup triumph – highlighting the power of sports in the early years of South Africa’s democracy.
After years of the side steadily regressing, Broos has built this Bafana Bafana team painstakingly since his appointment in 2021. He has identified players who are reliable and who possess leadership qualities both on and off the field.
Afcon 2025 runs from 21 December to 18 January 2026 in Morocco.
Bafana’s backbone
Among the 25 players he has selected to represent the country are goalkeeper and captain Ronwen Williams, plus his Mamelodi Sundowns teammates Teboho Mokoena (midfielder) and right-back Khuliso Mudau.
Broos has shuffled his deck numerous times during his four-year tenure as coach of the men’s senior national soccer side, but the trio has been constant.
All three are considered some of the best players in their respective positions, across Africa. As such they will be crucial to whatever success Broos’s charges achieve in Morocco. The mandate is clear from SA’s Belgian boss: at worst, match the bronze medal of Afcon 2023. But the target is to surpass it.
“We have a good team and confidence. It will be tough, tougher than two years ago… But we are not the South Africa of two years ago. Everybody knows now that South Africa is a good team. The opponents will be motivated to win against us,” Broos stated.
“This is the step we have to make. But I believe my team will be able to do that. And with a little bit of luck, we can achieve the same thing (reach the semifinals). Or maybe do better.”
Key figures on the team
In addition to the three backbone players, there are others Broos will rely on heavily to influence matches for Bafana Bafana.
One of those is Orlando Pirates attacker Oswin Appollis. The diminutive but explosive winger featured just once in the previous Afcon tournament, held in Côte d’Ivoire. He came on as a second-half substitute as South Africa beat the Democratic Republic of Congo 6-5 on penalties to claim bronze.
That was over a year ago. Since then, Appollis has been a regular in Broos’s squad. His stocks rose even higher following a switch from Polokwane City to Pirates ahead of the 2025/26 season, with the attacker taking his game to the next level. He will be crucial to the team’s podium ambitions.
As will players such as England-based striker Lyle Foster. The 25-year-old missed the 2023 Afcon because of mental health issues. He has since kicked those psychological struggles to the side and is ready to help Bafana Bafana win a second Afcon title.
Other key players will be the likes of Portugal-based midfielder Sphephelo Sithole, winger Mohau Nkota (who plays his soccer in Saudi Arabia), former Kaizer Chiefs centre back Siyabonga Ngezana, Sundowns fullback Aubrey Modiba, Pirates midfielder Thalente Mbatha and Major Soccer League-bound Mbekezeli Mbokazi.
“First of all, the quality is the most important thing when you make choices. [You have to ask yourself] if that guy is the best guy in that position,” Broos said about his squad selection.
“You also have to think of things such as injuries or suspensions happening, or if you just want to change tactics. In a tournament, many things can happen… So that’s also something I considered when I selected those 25 players.”
For the future
Among them there are two uncapped youngsters: Belgium-based Shandre Campbell and Tylon Smith, who plays his club soccer for English second-tier side Queens Park Rangers. Broos said the two 20-year-olds have been selected to taste what senior international soccer demands and are unlikely to play at the continental tournament.
“I took them for their quality. We won’t really have to count on them to play in games. However, if the opportunity arises, we can give them a chance. The most important thing for them now is to gain experience with Bafana Bafana, and at the higher level they are confronted with,” Broos said.
Mokwana returns
The biggest surprise in Broos’s final Afcon squad is the inclusion of forward Elias Mokwana. After a strong start, the former Sekhukhune United winger’s career stalled at his Tunisian club Espérance, to Broos’s frustration. The Belgian is a major believer in Mokwana’s capabilities.
However, a loan move to Saudi Pro League club Al-Hazem has him back in the mix. At Afcon he will be in line to make his first Bafana Bafana appearance since taking part in a 2-0 win over Uganda over a year ago.
“In the past months, we watched several games of Elias at Al-Hazem. He has been playing very well, even though he didn’t really play in his position,” Broos said. “They use him as a central striker. But that also means for us that if we need someone there, we can always use Elias.”
“On the other hand, he’s in very good shape. I like wingers who are very quick, I like wingers who have action. Elias is someone like that.”
Master Chef
Then there is midfield maestro Sipho Mbule. Nicknamed the ‘Master Chef’, the 27-year-old will have a particularly major responsibility in Bafana Bafana’s Afcon journey. He has been recruited to fill the void left by playmaker Themba Zwane, who has not played in months because of injury.
Despite his career not yet reaching the heights predicted when he made his professional debut for the now defunct SuperSport United in 2017, Mbule
has shaken off his off-field disciplinary struggles.
Since Pirates took a gamble by signing the supremely talented midfielder ahead of the current season, he has become a vital cog for the Soweto giants, leading Broos to reconsider him for the national team, after initially writing him off due to his off-field issues.
But as has been evident during Broos’s tenure, any success will come as a result of team effort rathern than an over-reliance on any individual player. DM
This story first appeared in our weekly DM168 newspaper, available countrywide for R35.