Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has named his final 23-member squad for the FIFA Series international friendlies pilot project which will be held in Algeria from the 18 to 26 March of this month.
The team will face Andorra and Algeria.
According to FIFA, the event will see world football’s governing body support its member associations in organising international friendly matches comprising four national teams from different confederations in a single host country.
Broos has called mostly young players for the series as he tries to build a new squad ahead of the FIFA World Cup in 2026.
“I am also looking to the future. I said it already, there are a few players in our group who will be 35, 34, 36 when the FIFA World Cup is jointly hosted in Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America in 2026. So yes, we have to look for replacements also,” said Broos.
The coach said the games will be an opportunity to give new and young players an opportunity to show if they are at Bafana Bafana level. He also noted the two different styles of opponents.
“On one side you have Andorra, and you can compare them to Namibia. A tough team, a team who will wait and try to be dangerous in transition.On the other side you have Algeria, ranked fifth in the CAF rankings. They have a new coach, they will have new players also in their selection,” noted the coach.
The coach made 10 changes to the squad that featured during this year’s Afcon.
He excluded Percy Tau, whom he described as “mentally broken after the Afcon.
Broos included Cape Town City in-form striker Khanyiso Mayo, who narrowly missed out to be part of Afcon.
Bafana Bafana will play the first match against Andorra on 19 May in Annaba, then face the hosts in Algiers on 26 March.
Bafana Bafana full squad:
