Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos will only announce his squad to face Liberia in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on 16 March, iDiski Times has learnt.
The former Cameroon coach has been seen watching matches all over the country with his assistant coach Helman Mkhalele ahead of their double-header with Liberia.
It is believed a preliminary squad will be announced this week, while the final announcement live on SABC will happen next week Thursday, on 16 March.
Also, this publication understands that Bafana will face Liberia on 24 March at Orlando Stadium, with South African Football Association set to confirm the venue next week when the squad is announced.
They will play the AFCON qualifying match in this historic venue for the first time since November 2019 when they beat Sudan 1-0 via a goal scored by Lebohang Phiri in the 2021 AFCON qualifying round.
The return leg against Liberia will take place at Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium in Monrovia four days later, in what will be the second and third Group K matches after both Bafana and Liberia initially lost to Morocco.
One of the new faces who are expected to be called up by coach Broos for the first time are Cassius Mailula, who is having a blinder of the season with Mamelodi Sundowns.
Another is Neo Maema, who has been outstanding for Sundowns, too, this season. Monnapule Saleng is also set to be back in the side, having scored eight league goals for Orlando Pirates, just like the young and exciting Mailula.
Others set to be recalled are Percy Tau, who is now fit for his club Al Ahly, where he had been hampered by injuries for a long time.
Broos is expected to announce a preliminary squad this week, before finalising the squad next week.
Njablo Blom, who left Kaizer Chiefs to join St Louis City in the Major League Soccer, where he has won two opening matches under Bradley Carnell, is another who is expected to be called up. As is Lyle Foster, who completed a big money move to Burnley from Belgium side Westerlo.
A win in both matches for Bafana will see them book their spot in the AFCON finals in Ivory Coast next year after the group was narrowed to three teams after Zimbabwe failed to overturn their FIFA ban.
Bafana and Liberia have met twice before, with Mzansi winning once (2-1) and drawing the other (1-1) in 2000 for the 2002 AFCON finals. Liberia’s great George Weah, who is now the country’s president, was the coach then.
