Orlando Pirates Monnapule Saleng

Bucs and Bafana man Monnapule Saleng. Photo: @orlandopirates / twitter

FIVE key players for Bafana Bafana ahead of Liberia tie

Bafana Bafana face Liberia in a crunch AFCON qualifying clash on Friday night. Here are five stars to keep an eye on, Mzansi.

Orlando Pirates Monnapule Saleng

Bucs and Bafana man Monnapule Saleng. Photo: @orlandopirates / twitter

It probably won’t shock you to see Mamelodi Sundowns stars feature heavily for Bafana Bafana against Liberia on Friday night in a crunch AFCON qualifying clash. As a result, we’ve picked out a trio of them to focus on here, as well as two other outstanding operators.

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Three key Bafana Bafana stars against Liberia in AFCON qualifier

Ronwen Williams

Everything starts with the goalkeeper, and Ronwen Williams has been superb for his club this season. Sundowns have conceded just nine goals in 23 league outings this term, and Williams has been in between the sticks for 20 of those matches, conceding only seven times. If he transfers that form to the international stage, Bafana’s goal will be a difficult one to breach.


Teboho Mokoena

This man is the glue in the engine room for Sundowns, and there’s no reason why he can’t perform that role for his country. The 24-year-old midfield general has been simply superb for Masandawana, orchestrating their best moves from a deep-lying role. Bafana have missed a player of his exact style and profile for a while, but he’s here now.

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Themba Zwane

What else is there to be said about Mshshi? The evergreen 33-year-old continues to pull the strings and call the tune for Sundowns, and he’s also back in favour for Bafana. This man is a fan-favourite for a reason, and he’s still got plenty to offer for his country. What a player.

Bafana Bafana Sundowns Themba Zwane AFCON qualifying
Bafana Bafana midfielder Themba Zwane – Photo: Twitter @Masandawana

Lyle Foster

The Burnley man recently scored his first goal in a Clarets jersey and will be raring to go. He also got on the score sheet in his last Bafana appearance and should be full of confidence. Much has been written and said about South Africa’s most expensive footballer of all time, and he sounds eager to become the main man.

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Bafana Bafana Lyle Foster AFCON
Lyle Foster is ready to become the main man for his country: Image: iDiski Times

Monnapule Saleng

PSL defenders have struggled with Saleng’s directness and he’s scored eight goals in the league for Orlando Pirates this term. One of the most electrifying players in the country, on his day, as he proved with a hat-trick against Swallows earlier this month. It would be lovely to see the 25-year-old replicate that form for his country.

Predicted Bafana Bafana XI vs Liberia: THREE Pirates stars make the cut


How will the guys fare against Liberia in this key AFCON qualifier? Kickoff is set for 18:00 at Orlando Stadium on Friday evening.


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Meanwhile, hit up James Freemantle for more insights, analysis and love for the beautiful game, and more articles just like this one.

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