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CAF
13 minutes ago
- Sport
- CAF
TotalEnergies CAF CHAN 2024: South Africa team profile
File Fact: Nickname: Bafana Bafana Total Appearances: Three (2011, 2014, 2025) Last Appearance: Algeria 2022 (Did not qualify) Titles: 0 FIFA Ranking: 56 Coach: Molefe Ntseki Captain: Neo Maema South Africa Eye First Knockout Spot At TotalEnergies CHAN Having qualified for the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) for only the fourth time, South Africa will be hoping to finally break their group-stage curse and go deeper into the tournament. Bafana Bafana's CHAN journey has been a mixed one. Their best performance came in 2014 on home soil when they made it out of the group stages but were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Nigeria. Since then, they've struggled to make a meaningful impact, with disappointing campaigns in 2016 and failure to qualify in 2018 and 2022. This year, South Africa return with renewed intent and a squad selected from the country's domestic-based players, giving a platform for local talent to shine on the continental stage. Despite hosting the tournament in 2014, they've never reached the semi-final stage. This year presents a big opportunity to rewrite that history. What To Expect: There is cautious optimism around this Bafana Bafana team, which features domestic league standouts and emerging stars the lower division. With more technical depth and attacking flair than in previous editions, expectations are that Ntseki's side will aim to at least make the knockout phase. Fan Zone: Did you know? South Africa's only senior continental title came at the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON 1996 on home soil. Since then, the country has been chasing another major trophy at senior level. While CHAN is not contested with overseas-based players, it remains a prestigious platform, especially for homegrown talent seeking to break into the senior Bafana Bafana squad for future TotalEnergies CAF AFCON or World Cup campaigns. How They Qualified: South Africa sealed their spot at the finals after a dominant 2-1 aggregate win over Malawi in the final qualification round. Under the guidance of coach Molefi, the squad impressed over both legs with attacking intent and solid defensive shape. Key Player To Watch: Neo Maema The Mamelodi Sundowns attacking midfielder is a visionary player who is renowned for both creating and finishing off scoring chances. His influence was vital as Bafana Bafana managed to qualify for the next edition of the CHAN. Know The Coach: Know The Coach: Molefi Ntseki Molefi Ntseki returns to the national team fold with the responsibility of guiding Bafana Bafana's CHAN squad. The 54-year-old previously served as head coach of the senior national team from 2019 to 2021, having also worked extensively within SAFA's youth structures, including the U17 and U20 teams. Known for his tactical discipline and deep knowledge of domestic football, Ntseki is seen as a coach who can get the best out of locally-based players. His focus on structured build-up play and defensive organisation will be key in South Africa's quest to make it past the group stage for just the second time in TotalEnergies CAF CHAN history. Past CHAN Performances: 2011 (Sudan): Group Stage Exit Group Stage Exit 2013 (South Africa): Quarter-final (Lost to Nigeria) Quarter-final (Lost to Nigeria) 2016 (Rwanda): Did Not Qualify Did Not Qualify 2019 (Morocco) Did not qualify Did not qualify 2022 (Algeria): Did not qualify
IOL News
12 hours ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Ntseki buoyed by Bafana's progress ahead of CHAN 2025 kick-off
Bafana Bafana coach Molefi Ntseki is backing his mix of free agents and local-based players to make an impact at CHAN 2025. Photo: Backpagepix Image: Backpagepix Bafana Bafana head coach Molefi Ntseki has expressed satisfaction with the strides made by his team as preparations continue for the upcoming African Nations Championship (CHAN), set to take place from 2 to 30 August 2025 across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. South Africa will kick off their campaign against Algeria next Friday at the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, Uganda. With just days remaining before the tournament begins, Ntseki is optimistic about the team's readiness following a productive week in camp. The CHAN tournament is unique in that it only features players actively competing in their respective domestic leagues. For Ntseki, that has meant calling on a mix of seasoned professionals and fringe players — including a number of free agents still seeking club contracts ahead of the new season. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading Despite this, the former Kaizer Chiefs mentor has been encouraged by the level of commitment shown by the group and believes the blend of youth, hunger, and experience could prove crucial. Among the notable names in the squad are former Kaizer Chiefs playmaker Keagan Dolly and recently released Sea Robbers striker Zakhele Lepasa — both experienced campaigners who have represented some of South Africa's biggest clubs and bring invaluable top-flight pedigree to the side. Bafana have been in camp for a week now, and although most domestic sides are only just wrapping up their pre-season programmes ahead of this weekend's MTN8 kick-off, Ntseki's men won't be far off the pace as their competitive opener edges closer. On Tuesday, the national side played Angola in a behind-closed-doors friendly at Lucas Moripe Stadium, which ended in a 1-1 draw. The match formed part of their final preparations before departing for East Africa. Reflecting on the squad's formation and the challenges faced, Ntseki highlighted the complexities associated with CHAN squad selection. 'It has always been a challenge to select CHAN squads, and this has been the case from our first qualifier against Egypt in March and then the game against Malawi in May,' Ntseki said after the match against Angola. 'But I think the players that were made available for selection are of quality, and they are players who are very proud to be selected and to be part of this team. You can tell from the attitude and the work rate of the players since we started with the qualifiers and again in the game we played today.' Ntseki also pointed out that having 15 unattached players in the squad is not necessarily a disadvantage. Instead, it may provide an opportunity for those players to put themselves in the shop window. 'We have got 15 players in the team that are unattached, but it is not because of a lack of quality from their side,' he continued. 'There are many other reasons why these players are not attached, and they are good-quality players. They've been in the league for more than five and even ten seasons, so you can't go wrong if you have these types of players as part of the team going into CHAN. 'So, I am very, very impressed and very happy to have this group.'
The South African
12 hours ago
- Sport
- The South African
Rumours swirl over date, venue for FIFA World Cup 2026 draw
Las Vegas will play host to the FIFA World Cup 2026 draw on 5 December 2025, according to multiple reports on Tuesday. ESPN and TUDN'Mexico said Vegas had been picked for the draw of the expanded 48-team event, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. In all, 12 groups of four nations will be drawn. When the United States played host to the 1994 World Cup, the draw ceremony was also conducted in Las Vegas. ESPN's original report said that The Sphere, a 17,500-seat venue which opened in 2023, was seen as the front-runner for the draw site. But Sphere sources confirmed to AFP the World Cup draw would not take place there, and ESPN later reported Sphere sources told the sports network it would not be held there. In 1994, the draw was staged in Las Vegas even though it was not a host city for any matches, a situation that is also the case for next year's event. Bafana Bafana, the South African national team, is edging closer to qualifying for only their fourth World Cup ever, provided they win their next two games. If Bafana beat Lesotho and Nigeria in September 2025, the national team will book their place with two games to spare – against Zimbabwe and Rwanda. Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news. © Agence France-Presse
TimesLIVE
14 hours ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Neo Maema to use Bafana's Chan campaign to gain match fitness
Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Neo Maema has explained how he handled the time while he was not playing at the club. Maema, 29, who is part of the Bafana Bafana African Nations Championship (Chan) squad, said he managed to keep himself motivated while he struggled for game time last season. The South Africans kick off their Group C campaign in the Chan — the Confederation of African Football's tournament for local-based combinations — against Algeria at Mandela National Stadium in Kampala, Uganda on August 8 (4pm) Since joining Sundowns from Bloemfontein Celtic in 2021, Maema has racked up 120 games, scoring 13 goals with providing 14 assists while winning the league in each of the last four seasons. 🎙️ 'Not there yet, but getting closer!' Bafana's CHAN prep is heating up 🔥 Coach Ntseki gives us the lowdown after a behind-closed-doors clash vs Angola. #BafanaBafana #CHAN #CHAN2025 — PEFMO_ZA (@pefmo_za) July 29, 2025 'In football, you have to be professional first and the next thing is to accept the situation you are in,' Maema said after Bafana's 1-1 Chan warm-up friendly draw against Angola at Lucas Moripe Stadium on Tuesday. 'Make sure you look at yourself, check your performances and how you train and make sure you change a few things and work harder to come back strong. So, I'm my own motivation. 'I make sure that whenever I get an opportunity, whether it is an international team or my club, there are no issues there.' This is the second time Maema has been called up to Chan squad having played a crucial role in the qualifiers. He said he will use the opportunity of playing in the finals in East Africa to get his match fitness back. 'It's a huge achievement for me to be here; I'm excited and it's an honour to represent the country in arguably the second-biggest tournament in Africa. I'm happy,' he said. 'It's all about trying to get a few [game] minutes and, if the chance comes, to play. Coach Molefi Ntseki allowed me to come; it was my first call-up last time and I was happy to join the team.' The Chan is being co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda from August 2 to 30. Maema is optimistic South Africa will do well. 'We are professionals, we don't need a lot of time, we just need cohesion between the players because we come from different teams and we just need to make sure we come together. 'Match fitness is always going to be a bit of a problem but I don't think it's something to worry about because we have a week left before our first game and we will push hard to make sure we are ready for the tournament.' Maema might also us the Chan as a last chance to try to impress Downs coach Miguekl Cardoso, with whom he fell out of favour last season. Reports are the midfielder might be on his way out of Chloorkop and a strong campaign in East Africa might sway a change in thinking from the Brazilians.
The South African
15 hours ago
- Sport
- The South African
Sundowns outcast addresses Kaizer Chiefs rumours
Mamelodi Sundowns outcast Terrence Mashego has addressed rumours that Kaizer Chiefs are interested in his services. Mashego has not been a regular since joining the Brazilians from Cape Town City two seasons ago. In fact, he has often been used sparingly by different coaches at Sundowns, and with Miguel Cardoso in charge, it doesn't seem like Mashego is on his plans. And this was fueled by Sundowns' decision to allow him to go to the Bafana Bafana camp for the upcoming CHAN tournament. Bafana Bafana will travel to East Africa for the tournament which only allows local-based to feature in, and Mashego together with Neo Maema are part of that squad. It is worth noting that the majority of those selected by Ntseki are free agents, which brings doubt on Mashego's future at Sundowns. Now, speaking to SoccerBeat while in the Bafana Bafana camp, the left-footed player said all the rumours are dealt with by his agent. Mamelodi Sundowns defender Terrence Mashego. Image: Sundowns website 'Remember, I have an agent, and also, I'm still contracted to Sundowns,' said Mashego. 'They are the ones that are dealing with everything. My job is to report to training. If there is a match, I just need to report to the game. 'So, the rumours and stuff are being dealt [with] by my agent,' added Mashego. Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
