Themba Zwane has set his sights on doing well in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, while also sharing his ambitious targets with Mamelodi Sundowns in the year 2024.
Bafana Bafana are not regarded as one of the favourites despite featuring 10 Sundowns players, who have dominated the South African league with ease, having won the league title six times in a row.
While they also improved in Africa, they recently won the inaugural African Football League in November, beating the two African giants – Al Ahly and Wydad Casablanca on their way to claiming the money-spinning trophy.
Even though Sundowns have 10 players in the Bafana squad, Mzansi are still not regarded as a main favourites, because nations such as Nigeria, defending champions Senegal, Morocco, and Algeria have better-resourced players who are playing at the higher level abroad.
This places Bafana far down the pecking order in claiming the AFCON trophy. Also, making them not a favorite, South Africa missed the previous tournament in Cameroon altogether, having failed to qualify.
“Doing well at the AFCON will be a perfect way to start the year and I cannot wait for the tournament to begin,” said Zwane on Sundowns Magazine, having returned to the national team in 2022 after he was frozen out by coach Hugo Broos but now, he is a kingpin in the side.
Indeed, all eyes will be on Zwane to bring the guitar to the national team to dance in the advanced role, as he has been doing with Sundowns consistently.
Zwane is one of just three players in current Bafana team with AFCON experience, as he, Ronwen Williams and Percy Tau also featured at the 2019 AFCON in Egypt.
Bafana will open the tournament against Mali on 16 January and then face Namibia five days later, before completing Group E against Tunisia on 24 January.
By then, South Africans would have known if they had booked a spot in the knockout stages. But this is not only the target Zwane has in mind in 2024.
“For Mamelodi Sundowns, we are dreaming big to achieve more greatness; we would love to win the seventh consecutive league title,” said Zwane without mincing his words.
Sundowns, heading to the AFCON break, are sitting top with 35 points after 13 matches, six ahead of second-placed Cape Town and SuperSport United, respectively. But the two sides have played three games more.
“The CAF Champions League is also on our agenda, and we hope to participate in the Club World Cup,” added Zwane.
To participate in the extended FIFA Club World Cup in 2025, Sundowns would either have to win CAF’s holy grail, the Champions League or be in the top three in CAF rankings to book their spot in the tournament that will have 32 teams and will be organized in the United States of America.
