Pitso Mosimane’s return to competitive football with Bafana Bafana has suffered an early setback after Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Lebohang Maboe was withdrawn from the national team camp because of an ankle injury.
Maboe arrived at the Bafana camp in Johannesburg on Sunday night after picking up the injury while playing for Chiefs over the weekend.
Following scans conducted on Monday, Bafana Bafana team doctor Dr Tshepo Molobi confirmed that the midfielder would miss the remainder of the FIFA international window.
“He twisted his ankle while playing for Kaizer Chiefs and after undergoing a scan, he will be ruled out from the current camp and this FIFA window,” Molobi said.
The withdrawal is a blow to Mosimane as he prepares for his first official match since returning for his third spell as Bafana Bafana head coach.
South Africa will begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign against Guinea at Orlando Stadium in Soweto on Saturday, 26 September, with kick-off scheduled for 15h00.
Mosimane has already moved quickly to address Maboe’s absence, with a call-up letter sent to Orlando Pirates for midfielder Tshepang Moremi.
Moremi now has an opportunity to make an impression in Mosimane’s new-look Bafana setup as the coach prepares his squad for a crucial opening Group D encounter.
The Guinea match carries additional importance because Kenya, one of the teams in Group D, are automatically qualified as co-hosts of the 2027 AFCON. CAF says this means only the highest-placed team other than Kenya from the group will qualify for the tournament, increasing the significance of the early fixtures.
Bafana will then travel to Egypt to face Eritrea on 30 September before remaining in Cairo for an international friendly against Egypt on 4 October.
Mosimane named a 30-man squad for the international window after initially selecting 35 players, retaining much of the group that represented South Africa at the 2026 FIFA World Cup while also introducing several new faces.
With Maboe now ruled out, attention will turn to how Mosimane reshapes his midfield and whether Moremi can seize the opportunity presented by the injury setback.
Tickets for Saturday’s Guinea clash are on sale, with adults paying R100 and children under 12 paying R40. Hospitality packages are also available.
Bafana supporters will now be hoping that Maboe’s absence does not derail the momentum surrounding Mosimane’s return as South Africa begin the road towards the 2027 continental showpiece.
