Pitso Mosimane has wasted little time putting his stamp on Bafana Bafana, but his first preliminary squad has already raised an interesting question: Is anything really changing for Kaizer Chiefs players?
The newly appointed Bafana coach has named a 35-man preliminary squad ahead of South Africa’s upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea.
Bafana will also travel to face Egypt in an international friendly on 4 October.
Mosimane’s appointment was officially confirmed this week, bringing plenty of excitement and speculation over whether the experienced coach would significantly reshape the national team after Hugo Broos’ departure.
There are six uncapped players in the preliminary squad — Lebone Seema, Cemran Dansin, Ronaldo van Neel, Puso Dithejane, Yanela Mbuthuma and Tshepo Mashiloane — suggesting that Mosimane is prepared to look beyond the established names.
However, one aspect of the squad looks strikingly familiar.
Only one Kaizer Chiefs player makes the cut
Lebohang Maboe is the only Kaizer Chiefs player included in Mosimane’s preliminary squad.
That continues a trend that has frustrated some Amakhosi supporters in recent years, with the club having relatively little representation in the senior national team.
Kaizer Chiefs had only one player, Bradley Cross, in South Africa’s 2026 World Cup squad. Cross is currently injured and therefore unavailable for selection.
Maboe, who narrowly missed out on the World Cup squad, has now been given another opportunity under Mosimane.
His inclusion could be viewed as a positive sign for Chiefs, but the bigger question remains: will Mosimane eventually open the door to more Amakhosi players?
With a new coach in charge, Chiefs supporters were perhaps expecting a significant change in the national-team selection picture.
Instead, Mosimane’s first preliminary squad suggests that, at least for now, the gap between Kaizer Chiefs and Bafana Bafana remains.
Is Mosimane really different from Broos?
This is where the debate begins.
Mosimane has introduced several new names, which indicates a willingness to experiment. But when it comes to Kaizer Chiefs, the numbers remain remarkably low.
Of course, a preliminary squad is not the final selection, and injuries, form and tactical requirements can still influence Mosimane’s final decisions.
For now, however, the question is unavoidable:
Has Pitso Mosimane brought a new approach to Bafana selection, or will Kaizer Chiefs continue to have limited representation under yet another coach?
The upcoming AFCON qualifiers may provide the first real clues about Mosimane’s philosophy — and whether more Amakhosi players can force their way into his plans.
