Coach Molefi Ntseki has received a significant boost ahead of South Africa’s crucial African Nations Championship (CHAN) second-leg qualifier against Malawi on Sunday, welcoming six new players into the national squad.
The South Africans faces an uphill battle after suffering a 1-0 defeat in the first leg played last week, leaving their hopes of participating in the prestigious CHAN tournament hanging precariously in the balance.
Leading up to that initial encounter, interim coach Ntseki voiced his concerns about assembling a fully competitive squad, citing a number of late arrivals that hampered his preparations.
This lack of cohesion seemingly contributed to the first-leg loss, placing immense pressure on the return fixture.
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However, the landscape has now shifted positively for Ntseki and Bafana Bafana. He has successfully secured the services of six fresh faces, injecting new energy and options into the squad for this must-win game.
The newly called-up players are Neo Maema, Ndumulelo Maphangule, Victor Letsoalo, Siyanda Msani, Simon Ramabu, and Kamogelo Sebelebele. Their arrival provides Ntseki with greater tactical flexibility and increased competition for places, addressing the concerns he raised prior to the first leg.
Speaking prior to this match, the coach said told SAFA’s website: “I think the first one was us playing the game we played in Malawi and the plan was to get a goal and not to concede. Unfortunately, we struggled with the game management.
“Obviously, when you have players that are not playing regularly in their teams and some of them without teams, we ended up conceding that odd goal in the last three minutes of the game. But that did not make us feel bad about the team. We came out of that game with the best lessons that we needed to take into the next game.”
Ntseki added: “And coming back to South Africa, we made requests to the clubs to release players, especially clubs that are not playing this weekend. So, we are aware that Chippa played Sundowns, Pirates played Golden Arrows, and then there is also the Nedbank Cup final this coming weekend.
“The teams responded very positive because they ended up sending six of the players that we needed in camp.”
These additions will undoubtedly strengthen the team’s depth and potentially offer a different dimension to their play as they aim to overturn the one-goal deficit and secure their qualification for the CHAN tournament.
The inclusion of these players signifies a proactive step by Ntseki to ensure his team is well-equipped for the challenge that awaits them against Malawi on Sunday. The hopes of a nation now rest on their shoulders as they strive to book their place in the continental showpiece. Kick-off at Loftus Versfeld is scheduled for 15h00 on Sunday, 11 May 2025.