Bafana Bafana have confirmed that Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Neo Malema will captain the squad for the upcoming CHAN qualifiers.
Bafana will take on Egypt in Bloemfontein in the first leg of their double qualifier against Egypt on Sunday.
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Molefi Ntseki has been confirmed as new head coach to lead the team instead of Helman Mkhalele.
On Saturday, Bafana confirmed that Malema will wear the captain’s armband.
“Bloemfontein-born Neo Maema will captain the Bafana Bafana side that will face Egypt in an African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifier at Free State Stadium on Sunday, 2 March 2025. Kick off is at 17h00,” Bafana stated.
Bloemfontein-born Maema accepted his new role with pride.
“I’m humbled to stand before you guys, before the coaches, and humbled by the responsibility they’ve given me to be the captain of our national team. We’ve been preparing very well in a very short time, but we are supporting each other in terms of how we need to approach the game,” he said, as per SAFA.
“We also have to put ourselves in a good position in terms of playing at home in our country, making our fans very proud. So, it’s a team effort and we must also listen to our coaches to make sure that everything that they’ve told us, we grasp as quickly as possible so that we can be ready for tomorrow’s game.
“The mood is very high. We also have a lot of young players that are willing to listen. We know they are also there to listen to us. I’m happy to be the captain of our team and make sure that we represent the country very well.”
