Masindi Nemtajela and Keletso Makgalwa could make their Bafana Bafana debuts under coach Hugo Broos during the Africa Cup of Nations preparation match against Zambia at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on Saturday evening (6pm kick-off).
Nemtajela and Makgalwa are the two notable new faces in the 23-member squad Broos named for the clash at Safa House last Thursday.
Broos also called up several familiar faces, explaining that he does not want the team to lose the core and momentum they’ve built over the past few months, which include qualifying for the upcoming AFCON and the 2026 FIfa World Cup in North America.
However, the Belgian is not naïve to the possibility of eventualities such as loss of form or injuries ahead of the continental showpiece in Morocco next month. As a result, he said he wanted to test some new players in the clash against Chipolopolo.
The new faces include both Nemtajela and Makgalwa, who have been in fine form for Orlando Pirates and Sekhukhune United respectively.
Nemtajela is a skillful midfielder who brings flair and precision to the game with his silky touches and passes. Makgalwa, on the other hand, has established himself as a king of assists in the top flight, having recorded 11 assists and six goals in 32 appearances last season, while already registering six assists in 13 appearances this season.
Broos said he wants to beat the coachless Zambia side, as that would aid their preparation before they assemble for camp early next month. That’s why he intends to field a strong team of regulars blended with new faces.
“We will, for sure, give players a chance. But more importantly, I want to win the game,” Broos said. “It has to be good preparation, we can’t afford to lose against Zambia just before AFCON.
“We’ll try to play with the best team, but maybe even from the beginning there’ll be one or two new players so we can see how they perform.”
While the clash also carries the Cosafa rivalry – with bragging rights up for grabs – Broos said it’s crucial to maintain the team’s winning momentum.
“For me, it’s not really a friendly game,” Broos said. “It’s a match where I want to see the team perform like they have over the last two years.”
Ideally, Broos would have preferred Bafana to face a stronger opponent than Zambia, though this fixture will still help them prepare for their Cosafa regional opponents Zimbabwe and Angola in Group B. However, that wasn’t possible.
Teams such as Nigeria, Cameroon, DRC, and Gabon will be playing World Cup play-offs during this window, making it impossible for them to commit to any friendly matches.
Nevertheless, Broos said they have finalised all plans for their pre-AFCON camp, which will be based at the University of Pretoria’s High-Performance Centre from December 8 to 17 before flying out to Morocco.
Before that, Broos will travel to Washington DC, in the first week of December for the World Cup group stage draw. By then, he hopes they will have secured an opponent for their final AFCON warm-up match.
“We are going to Tuks, and we’re just looking for one more friendly match before we go to Morocco,” Broos said.
“Everything else is done. I’ll go to the draw on December 5 and return immediately before we start preparations three days later.
“I can’t go and visit base camps and so on. I can’t miss the first five days of camp, AFCON is too important.”
