Pitso Mosimane Opens Up About Emotional Call With Themba Zwane Before Bafana Bafana Squad Snub

• Pitso Mosimane revealed he personally called Themba Zwane before leaving the veteran out of the Bafana Bafana squad
• The 37-year-old Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder was part of the previous camp where South Africa won against Guinea and Eritrea
• Mosimane admitted the decision was deeply personal, describing Zwane as more than just a player in the squad

Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane has spoken candidly about one of the hardest calls he has made since taking charge of the national team: leaving Themba Zwane out of his latest squad. Mosimane announced his final 27-man selection on Thursday at the SABC Studios, ahead of Bafana Bafana's upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification double-header against Kenya.

The standout omission from the squad was veteran Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Zwane, affectionately known as "Mshishi," who had featured in the September and October camp where South Africa opened their Group D campaign with victories over Guinea and Eritrea.

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The call Pitso Mosimane had to make

Rather than letting Zwane find out through social media, Mosimane made a point of calling him directly. The coach described the conversation as genuinely emotional.

"That's a difficult one for me, because emotionally I am attached, but this is the national team and it can't be all emotions right?" Mosimane said, according to KickOff.

"It's about doing what you think is right, so I spoke to him. I have to give him the respect. Themba Zwane is not a player you just drop and just continue then he has to see on social media that 'oh I am no longer part of the team'. So I spoke to him. We discussed."

He added:

"If you know Themba Zwane, you should know how difficult it is to make that call. He is not a player you just leave out."

More than just a player

What made the decision even harder was the unique role Zwane had played in bridging the gap between Mosimane and a squad he was still getting to know.

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"I have lost a consultant also because on the pitch I talk to him," Mosimane admitted.

"I don't know the players' personalities; it was my first time with them, and Themba was so crucial in letting me know and keeping the culture of the national team.

"To give the likes of Puso [Dithejane] the system of what it is to play for the national team, and win titles, and win the [CAF] Champions League."

He concluded:

"So you don't understand how emotional it was for me to drop Themba Zwane; it was so difficult. I gave him the respect."

Kenya fixtures raise the stakes

Bafana Bafana face Kenya in two crucial fixtures, with the first match set for Friday, 13 November at the Orlando Amstel Arena in Johannesburg, kicking off at 18:00. The return leg follows in Nairobi on Tuesday, 17 November. Adding an extra edge to the tie is the fact that the Harambee Stars are led by Bafana's all-time top goalscorer, Benni McCarthy.

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Because Kenya qualifies automatically as AFCON 2027 co-hosts, only one other side from Group D will advance, making every point South Africa collects essential to their qualification hopes.

Bafana Bafana's World Cup Bonus Payment Still Outstanding

Briefly News previously reported that Bafana Bafana players had received their official FIFA prize money from the 2026 World Cup, with the payments processed through SAFA approximately a month earlier.

However, Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie had yet to honour his separate R5 million bonus promise following South Africa's group-stage victory over South Korea.

Source: Briefly News