US-based star Bongokuhle Hlongwane is making a comeback to the Bafana Bafana set-up after being dropped ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year, as he is one of 38 players selected by Hugo Broos for the upcoming 2025 AFCON qualifiers.
Broos' charges will be looking to secure AFCON qualification when they take on Uganda and South Sudan in the latest and last round of qualifiers for the continental showpiece.
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Bafana will host Uganda away on Friday, 15 November, before hosting South Sudan in Cape Town on Tuesday, 19 November.
Ahead of those encounters, Broos has named a 38-man preliminary squad, which will be trimmed down to the final 23 in the coming days.
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has named a 38-player preliminary squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Qualifers against Uganda (away) and South Sudan (at home) to be played in November 2024. The final 23-player list will be named in the coming days. pic.twitter.com/vGZ8cnHPaW
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) October 29, 2024
The latest squad sees the return of Al Ahly attacker Percy Tau, who missed out in the last national team camp at his own request due to 'personal reasons', according to Broos.
Siyabonga Ngezana also returns having not been part of the last camp due to an injury, while Minnesota United's Hlongwane also makes a long-awaited return to national team duty after wowing crowds in the MLS with his pace, skill and trickery.
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One of the new faces in the squad is Stellenbosch FC goalkeeper Sage Stevens, who has had a stellar season so far with the Winelands-based outfit and whose absence from the national team set-up in recent has set tongues wagging.
His teammate, Jayden Adams, also returns after Broos rather controversially decided to drop him from the last squad due to reportedly failing to report for camp on the agreed date.
The other new face is Polokwane City defensive midfielder Rodney Maphangule.