Did Bafana Bafana qualify for Afcon 2023?

16 May 2022 – Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has selected a strong squad to do duty in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Morocco and Zimbabwe next month.

The Senior Men’s National team begins the qualifying programme with back-to-back matches against Morocco at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium on 9 June 2022, and Zimbabwe at FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, four days later (13 June 2022).

The final list will be announced in due course.

GOALKEEPERS

  1. RONWEN WILLIAMS SUPERSPORT UNITED

  2. VELI MOTHWA AMAZULU

  3. BRUCE BVUMA KAIZER CHIEFS

  4. BRANDON PETERSEN KAIZER CHIEFS

DEFENDERS

  5. SYDNEY MOBBIE SEKHUKHUNE

  6. KHULISO MUDAU MAMELODI SUNDOWNS

  7. BANDILE SHANDU ORLANDO PIRATES

  8.GRANT KEKANA MAMELODI SUNDOWNS

  9. THIBANG PHETE BELENENSES

10. SIYABONGA NGEZANA KAIZER CHIEFS

11. TAARIQ FIELIES CAPE TOWN CITY

12. LUKE FLEURS SUPERSPORT UNITED

13. ATHENKOSI MCABA STELLENBOSCH

14. THABANI ZUKE GOLDEN ARROWS

15. TERRENCE MASHEGO CAPE TOWN CITY

16. LYLE LAKAY MAMELODI SUNDOWNS

17. INNOCENT MAELA ORLANDO PIRATES

18. AUBREY MODIBA MAMELODI SUNDOWNS

C. MIDFIELDERS

19. SPHEPHELO SITHOLE BELENENSES

20. GOODMAN MOSELE ORLANDO PIRATES

21. FORTUNE MAKARINGE ORLANDO PIRATES

22. THABANG MONARE ORLANDO PIRATES

23. YUSUF MAART SEKHUKHUNE

24. LEBOHANG MABOE MAMELODI SUNDOWNS

25.PHATHUTSHEDZO NANGE              KAIZER CHIEFS

26. JESSE DONN SUPERSPORT UNITED

27. MDUDUZI MDANTSANE CAPE TOWN CITY

28. THAPELO MORENA MAMELODI SUNDOWNS

C. STRIKERS

29. THEMBINKOSI LORCH ORLANDO PIRATES

29. ASHLEY DU PREEZ STELLENBOSCH

30. KEAGAN DOLLY KAIZER CHIEFS

31. EVIDENCE MAKGOPA BAROKA FC

32. KHANYISA MAYO CAPE TOWN CITY

33. FAGRIE LAKAY PYRAMIDS

34. LYLE FOSTER WESTERLO

35. BONGOKUHLE HLONGWANE MINNESOTA

36. PERCY TAU AL AHLY

37. MMODI PULE GOLDEN ARR

Bafana Bafana’s qualification for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations received a huge boost as their Group K opponents Zimbabwe have been expelled from the competition.

The Confederation of African Football (Caf) said due to Zimbabwe and Kenya having failed to have their Fifa suspensions lifted they will “not participate in the Africa Cup of Nations Ivory Coast 2023 qualifiers”.

The two countries were suspended in relation to government interference in the sport.

With two teams qualifying from each group, and Morocco and SA the favourites in Group K, and Liberia theoretically are the whipping boys, that leaves a path clear for Bafana to reach Ivory Coast 2023 — barring a not uncharacteristic choke from the national team.

Caf said: “Caf had included them [Kenya and Zimbabwe] in the official draw in April on condition that the suspension be lifted two weeks before their first match day.

“Kenya and Zimbabwe, suspended for political interference, have not yet met the criteria required by the Fifa Congress as a prerequisite for lifting their suspension.”

Caf said the suspensions mean:

* The two associations, the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa), will be considered losers and eliminated from the competition.

* Groups C and K will be composed only of three teams and the order of the matches will be maintained in accordance with the match schedule that has been communicated to the teams after the draw.

* The first and runner-up teams of those groups will qualify to the final tournament.

Bafana's qualification campaign starts with their match against Morocco in Rabat on June 9. SA are placed 69th in the latest Fifa rankings, Morocco are 24th and Liberia are 149th.

Kenya’s exit leaves Cameroon, Burundi and Namibia to contest Group C.

Bafana Bafana squad celebrating (Gallo Images)

Bafana Bafana was drawn alongside Morocco, neighbours Zimbabwe and Liberia in the 2023 African Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers for the tournament taking place in the Ivory Coast in May and June next year.

South Africa was seeded in pot 2 during the draw conducted in Johannesburg on Tuesday evening by Bafana legend Lucas Radebe and former Ivory Coast and Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou.

Hugo Broos' men were pooled in Group K with the tournament starting on 30 May.

The top two finishers in the group qualify for the 24-team tournament. 

Bafana, who failed to qualify for the 2022 Afcon in Cameroon, won by Senegal, recently faced Zimbabwe during the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, which SA won 1-0 at home and drew 0-0 away.

Zimbabwe, however, have recently been suspended by FIFA but still formed part of the draw.

Morocco's only Afcon title came in 1976 and their best finish since was second in 2004.

The draw for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying groups, made in Johannesburg on Tuesday:

Group A: Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome e Principe or Mauritius

Group B: Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Togo, Eswatini

Group C: Cameroon, Kenya, Namibia, Burundi

Group D: Egypt, Guinea, Malawi, Ethiopia

Group E: Ghana, Madagascar, Angola, Central African Republic

Group F: Algeria, Uganda, Niger, Tanzania

Group G: Mali, Congo Brazzaville, Gambia, South Sudan

Group H: Ivory Coast (hosts), Zambia, Comoros, Lesotho

Group I: Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Mauritania, Sudan

Group J: Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Botswana

Group K: Morocco, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Liberia

Group L: Senegal (holders), Benin, Mozambique, Rwanda

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