Shika’s influence slanting on Mosimane’s Bafana selection choices…

Pitso Mosimane has backed his decision to retain Themba Zwane within Bafana Bafana despite his advancing age and limited minutes at Mamelodi Sundowns.

At 37, Zwane is the oldest player in the Bafana squad due to play against Guinea and Eritrea in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers plus the friendly international against Egypt.

The reason Themba Zwane was choosen

His selection comes after the completion of his three-match ban emanating from what the FIFA Disciplinary Committee adjudged to have been a serious misconduct red card that he received in the World Cup opener against Mexico.

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Mosimane put down experience and quality before putting his reasoning on Zwane – known as Shika or Mshishi. 

"You don’t just choose because you have to choose.

"I don’t choose Themba Zwane who is 38 [37] just because I want to choose Themba Zwane because he was playing for me at Mamelodi Sundowns.

"I have a reason why I choose Themba Zwane," says Mosimane before throwing in Zwane’s name in the leadership conversation.

Bafana's leadership group

The former Downs coach said he believes in leadership in many ways, adding that the team won’t have one captain.

"We will have a few captains, and I will sometimes choose the captain of the day because if (Kylian) Mbappe can be captain we can also have a young captain.

"A captain doesn’t have to be a player just because he is 38 or 35.

"Okay, Themba Zwane is one of my captains by the way.

"So, we need young captains, we need young to lead, to learn, on how to be a captain.

"So, one captain, I don’t believe in that because if you are injured and you are not there…and you know the captain must always be playing, right.

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"…there are a lot of players with good leadership and for your own information Chaine is going to be one of the captains.

"Same as Ronwen (Williams) will still remain one of my captains.

"Let’s go for it.

"Let’s open this thing," says Mosimane.

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Afcon 2027 qualifiers Bafana Bafana Mamelodi Sundowns News Pitso Mosimane Themba Zwane