With the African Nations Championship (CHAN) just around the corner, Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki has expressed a sense of confidence and satisfaction regarding his team’s preparations. The squad is set to depart for Uganda this Sunday, following an intensive training camp that commenced last week Friday in Johannesburg.During their preparations, the team played a closed-door friendly match against Angola at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
The match provided a valuable opportunity for the players to gel and hone their skills ahead of the tournament.
“It has always been a challenge to select CHAN squads, and this has been the case from our first qualifier against Egypt in March and then the game against Malawi in May,” Ntseki said, acknowledging the difficulties faced in securing player releases from various clubs.
Despite these challenges, he remains optimistic about the quality of players available for selection.
“The players that were made available for selection are quality, and they are very proud to be part of this team,” he added. One area of focus for Ntseki has been the presence of 15 players who are currently out of contract ahead of the upcoming 2025/26 Betway Premiership season. He emphasised that their lack of affiliation with clubs does not reflect a deficiency in talent.
“These are good quality players who have been in the league for more than five to ten seasons,” he explained. “You can’t go wrong having these types of players as part of the team going into CHAN. So, I am very, very impressed and very happy to have this group.
”Among the unattached players is Keagan Dolly, recently released by TS Galaxy, who has welcomed the opportunity to represent his country.
“Not a lot of people get this opportunity. So, when it came, I didn’t hesitate. I always want to represent the country, no matter the level,” Dolly stated.
He expressed a strong desire to contribute towards what he hopes will be a historic tournament for Bafana Bafana.Bafana Bafana has been drawn in Group C alongside Uganda, Niger, Guinea, and Algeria. They will face Algeria in their opening match on 8th August. The CHAN tournament, which features national teams composed primarily of players participating in their country’s domestic leagues, will be held across three East African countries: Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
