AFCON SQUAD ANALYSIS: HUGO BROOS' YOUTH MIX VS. THEMBA ZWANE'S OMISSION
Hugo Broos named his final 25-man Bafana AFCON squad. Analyst Sudesh Singh praised the youth-experience mix but voiced concerns over Themba Zwane's omission and goalkeeper depth.
Hugo Broos announced his final 25-man squad for Bafana Bafana on Monday for the Africa Cup of Nations, and fans are excited to see if South Africa can win.
The team is in Group B and will play Angola on December 22, then Egypt on December 26, and finish against Zimbabwe on December 29. It's going to be tough.
Football expert Sudesh Singh likes the team, saying Broos did a good job mixing young players with experienced ones.
Singh said this mix could help them at AFCON and get ready for the World Cup.
He's happy that Tylon Smith, a young player from QPR who played well at the Under-20 AFCON, is included. Even if he doesn't play much, he'll learn a lot.
Singh thinks Broos is planning for the future with his choices.
You can see that Hugo is thinking about the World Cup, Singh said.
Singh is worried about some players who didn't make the squad, like 35-year-old Themba Zwane.
Singh said, I think he should be there. He was hurt, but he played for Sundowns in the Champions League.
You need a player like that for his skills, but also to lead and inspire the younger players, he added.
Singh is also concerned about the goalkeepers.
He said, Ronwen is much better than the others.
He thinks the backup goalkeepers might not be ready.
Ricardo Goss plays for a team that's not doing well, so we don't know if he's sharp enough. And Chaine is doing well for Pirates, but they're not in the Champions League anymore, so we don't know if he'd be ready if needed.
Despite these worries, Singh is mostly happy with the team. He thinks the mix of young and experienced players gives Bafana a chance to win and also train players for the future.
As the team gets ready for the AFCON group stage, the focus will be on getting ready, planning tactics, and helping the young players learn from the older ones. Singh believes these things will decide if South Africa does well in the tournament and later on.
Bafana Bafana 25-Man Squad
Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams, Sipho Chaine, Ricardo Goss
Defenders: Khuliso Mudau, Thabang Matuludi, Tylon Smith, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Aubrey Modiba, Khulumani Ndamane, Siyabonga Ngezana, Samkelo Kabini, Mbekezeli Mbokazi
Midfielders: Sphephelo Sithole, Teboho Mokoena, Thalente Mbatha, Bathusi Aubaas
Forwards: Oswin Appollis, Mohau Nkota, Tshepang Moremi, Evidence Makgopa, Lyle Foster, Sipho Mbule, Elias Mokwana, Relebohile Mofokeng, Shandre Campbell
THOMAS TUCHEL NAMES EXPANDED ENGLAND SQUAD FEATURING FOUR SURPRISE NEW INCLUSIONS
Thomas Tuchel hands maiden England call-ups to James Garner and Jason Steele while omitting Trent Alexander-Arnold.
James Garner from Everton and Brighton’s goalkeeper Jason Steele have earned their first call-ups to the England squad. Alongside them, AC Milan’s defender Fikayo Tomori and Tottenham’s forward Dominic Solanke have also been included. However, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luke Shaw did not make the cut this time.
Jude Bellingham, despite being sidelined since early February due to a hamstring injury, is still part of the squad. Experienced centre-back Harry Maguire, now 33, has the chance to add to his 64 caps, while 20-year-old Kobbie Mainoo, who started in the Euro 2024 final, is also selected. Both last represented England in September 2024 but have been rewarded for Manchester United’s recent good form, which has lifted them to third place in the Premier League.
Luke Shaw, pushing for inclusion, has been overlooked once again. Instead, Tuchel has called up Newcastle’s Lewis Hall, marking his first call-up since Tuchel took over.
This squad is larger than usual, with players arriving in two phases during the international window. Tuchel explained on the Football Association’s website that the first group includes players who haven’t played much recently, aiming to broaden competition for spots in the upcoming US tour. Then, from Friday to Saturday, another group will join, including some who’ve had a short rest, to mix things up for the match against Japan.
England will face Uruguay at Wembley on March 27, followed by a home game against Japan on March 31. Looking ahead, the World Cup kicks off on June 11 in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, with England considered among the contenders.
Here’s the full squad breakdown:
Goalkeepers: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), James Trafford (Manchester City), Aaron Ramsdale (Newcastle), Jason Steele (Brighton)
Defenders: Dan Burn (Newcastle), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Lewis Hall (Newcastle), Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa), Tino Livramento (Newcastle), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Nico O’Reilly (Manchester City), Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen), Djed Spence (Tottenham), John Stones (Manchester City), Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), James Garner (Everton), Jordan Henderson (Brentford), Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa), Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
Forwards: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds), Eberechi Eze (Arsenal), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Anthony Gordon (Newcastle), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Noni Madueke (Arsenal), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Marcus Rashford (Barcelona), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Dominic Solanke (Tottenham)
WHY CAF STRIPPED SENEGAL OF THEIR AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS TITLE
Following a final walk-off, Senegal has lost its AFCON trophy in the boardroom, prompting an appeal to CAS by the FSF.
Moussa Niakhate finally spoke out after the Confederation of African Football’s shocking decision to take Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations trophy away. After that wild walk-off in the final against Morocco, CAF backed an appeal and handed the host nation a 3-0 win by default. Senegalese players were furious; who wouldn’t be?
The boardroom decision completely flipped African football on its head. Two months after the final, the CAF Appeal Board tossed out Senegal’s victory and gave Morocco the win. It all started deep into stoppage time when VAR gave Morocco a penalty. Pape Thiaw, Senegal’s manager, lost it and told his players to leave the field. Eventually, they came back and finished the match. Still, officials said the walk-off broke tournament rules, so they took the title away. Brutal.
Niakhate, the 30-year-old defender who was key in Senegal’s backline, got asked about it before Lyon’s Europa League match with Celta. He’d already posted a photo with his medal and the trophy right after the ruling. He made it clear: nothing a boardroom says can erase what happened on the pitch. He said, “Out of respect for the club and with the crucial match in mind, I don’t want to go into too much detail. You saw my reaction on social media; it’s the same today. What I can say is that nothing has changed for me compared to what we went through in January. I’ll have time to talk about it again in due course; for now, I’m going to stay focused on Lyon.”
That final in Rabat was pure chaos, even before Senegal won 1-0 on the field. Most players followed Thiaw down the tunnel, but Sadio Mane stayed, urging his teammates to come back. Brahim Diaz took the penalty but tried a Panenka, and Edouard Mendy caught it easily. The game went to extra time, Papa Gueye scored, and Senegal thought they were champions again. It didn't matter; the walk-off cost them everything. The committee called it a 3-0 forfeit.
It’s harsh for a team that believed they’d gone back-to-back. Niakhate, who started six out of seven games, is now focusing on Lyon’s European campaign. Still, that boardroom drama isn’t going away, not with the international break coming up. Senegal’s already planning to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
