Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has explained after a conversation with assistant Helman Mkhalele they opted to call up Thabiso Sesane.
The Orlando Pirates defender has been in sublime form since the start of the 2024/25 season, profiting from the injury of vice-captain Tapelo Xoki.
And it’s been his injury, added to Siyabonga Ngezana’s muscle injury that has opened the door for the 24-year-old to potentially make his senior national team debut.
The Pirates academy graduate has featured in all 10 games across all competitions as Pirates are unbeaten with seven clean sheets and will fight for a spot in the starting line-up alongside club teammate Nkosinathi Sibisi, Grant Kekana and Rushwin Dortley.
“For the moment, I think Pirates and Stellenbosch are the two teams who are playing the best football, that means the players who are playing in those teams are good players who are playing good football,” Broos said.
“So when Ngezana… when we had to replace Ngezana, we were looking at the other players, Sesane and also a few others and we decided to take him because he played all the games for Pirates since the beginning of the season so he had the rhythm of the game.
“He’s a good defender, also good in rebuilding, it means that after the discussion with my friend Helman, we decided to take him, and I think it was the best choice to replace Ngezana for the moment.”
South Africa take on Congo Brazzaville home and away in the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in the next week.
