Bafana Bafana will kick off their COSAFA Cup campaign with a crucial Group A clash against regional rivals Mozambique at the Free State Stadium on Wednesday.
The match marks an important opportunity for South Africa to assert their dominance in the Southern African tournament after last year’s disappointing group-stage exit.
South Africa, five-time winners of the COSAFA Cup, last tasted glory in 2021 under Morena Ramoreboli’s leadership, edging Senegal in a thrilling 5-4 penalty shootout.
Nevertheless, their title hopes were dashed in last year’s competition when they failed to progress past the group stage, finishing behind Mozambique.
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SAFA has announced a 23-man squad for this year’s tournament, which will take place in Bloemfontein. Alongside Mozambique, Bafana will also face Mauritius and Zimbabwe in the group phase as they seek redemption and another shot at silverware.
Kaizer Chiefs players form a significant portion of the squad, reinforcing Bafana’s lineup with experience and talent. However, an early change has been made to the team, with goalkeeper Bruce Bvuma withdrawing. His replacement, Darren Johnson, will now take up the position between the posts, adding a fresh dynamic to the defensive unit.
Ahead of the game, COSAFA Cup coach Vela Khumalo expressed his side’s readiness for the tie.
He said on SAFA’s website: “We are playing against Mozambique, and we don’t know much about them, but it’s all about how we want to express ourselves when playing at home.
“We need to show that we are playing at home, we promise to play good football, but most importantly, we need to win the game. We want to see ourselves going into the semifinals, that’s the most important thing.
“I’m happy with the players because they look sharp, and I was not expecting them to look as sharp as they do as they have been in recess for two weeks. But we are in good shape and in a good space as we look forward to the next session.”