Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane unveiled on Friday 23 October 2026 an expanded 38-man squad for November’s two-legged qualifier against Kenya, coached by Benni McCarthy, former striker and Bafana Bafana legend.
The news came through official channels: the X account of the South African national football team published on Friday 23 October 2026, at 21:13, a preliminary 38-man list selected by Pitso Mosimane, the national head coach, for the two-legged November 2026 qualifier for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). According to Briefly News, which reported the announcement, the designated opponents are Kenya.
The clash has a special flavour: Kenya are coached by Benni McCarthy, former striker and Bafana Bafana legend. Two of the most iconic figures in South African football history will therefore meet in the dugouts.
From the local league and abroad
The list unveiled by the head coach mixes profiles. It includes local players plying their trade in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) as well as expatriates based in Europe and abroad, according to Briefly News. Among the players from the South African league, Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, two of the big guns, form the main backbone of the call-ups.
The names of the called-up players are not specified in the available details. The list remains a preliminary selection: it must be trimmed in the coming days, to 23 or 25 players, before the official gathering and the preparation camp planned for early November 2026.
Aiming for direct qualification
This November 2026 international window is decisive for South Africa, who are targeting direct qualification for the AFCON finals. The two-legged tie against Kenya sits at the heart of this qualifying campaign.
The schedule put forward by the source specifies neither the exact dates nor the venues of the two matches. One certainty remains: they will be played during the November 2026 international window, and the final squad will be announced before the group gathers.
Two legends face to face
Pitso Mosimane and Benni McCarthy belong to the same chapter of South African football history. The first now runs Bafana Bafana; the second, who went from iconic striker to head coach, is in charge of Kenya. Seeing them face off from the touchline adds spice to this qualifier.