Khune named in Bafana's 25-man squad for Afcon qualifiers
Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki has named Itumeleng Khune in his 25-man squad to face Sao Tome in back-to-back 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The first match will be played in Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium on 13 November 2020, with kick-off set for 7pm, while the away match will take place three days later on 16 November 2020, which kicks off at 5pm.
Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune makes a welcome return to the senior men’s national team after recovering from a long lay-off, while Maritzburg United’s defender Rushine de Reuck has been rewarded for his stellar performance last season with a call-up.
Glasgow Rangers midfielder Bongani Zungu also makes his return to the national team setup as well as FC Cincinnati midfielder Kamohelo Mokotjo and Carlisle United’s Dean Furman.
Ntseki has added Supersport United’s Bradley Grobler and Thabiso Kutumela of Maritzburg United in attack alongside Percy Tau and Kermit Erasmus.
'The back-to-back Sao Tome games are crucial in our quest to qualify for Cameroon AFCON tournament and I am confident that this blend of youth and experience will do the job,' Ntseki told Safa.net.
Bafana Bafana’s locally based players will assemble on 8 November and fly straight to Durban on the same day. The overseas players will fly directly from their respective bases to Durban to join the rest of the squad.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
The team will conduct the first training session the following day on 9 November and play Sao Tome on 13 November. They then depart for Sao Tome on 14 November on a charter flight and return to South Africa on 16 November, soon after playing the return game.
Here is Bafana Bafana's 25-man squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Darren Keet, Ronwen Williams, Itumeleng Khune.
Defenders: Thibang Phete, Motjeka Madisha, Thulani Hlatshway, Lyle Lakay, Innocent Maela, Rushine de Reuck, Abubaker Mobara, Reeve Frosler.
Midfielder: Andile Jali, Themba Zwane, Thulani Serero, Teboho Mokoena, Bongani Zungu, Keagan Dolly, Percy Tau, Lebohang Manyama, Kamohelo Mokotjo, Luther Singh, Dean Furman.
Strikers: Kermit Erasmus, Bradley Grobler, Thabiso Kutumela.
Coach: Molefi Ntseki
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
FourFourTwo was launched in 1994 on the back of a World Cup that England hadn’t even qualified for. It was an act of madness… but it somehow worked out. Our mission is to offer our intelligent, international audience access to the game’s biggest names, insightful analysis... and a bit of a giggle. We unashamedly love this game and we hope that our coverage reflects that.