Former Mamelodi Sundowns attacker Katlego Mashego has given his opinion on the surprise inclusion of Sipho Mbule in the Bafana Bafana preliminary squad for the 2025 AFCON qualifiers.
Mbule has seen a limited game-time in the past few seasons at Sundowns as he was plagued by injuries amongst other things. In the previous campaign at Downs, Mbule made 22 appearances in all competitions and he was mostly used as a second-half substitute.
After failing to establish himself as a regular starter at the Brazilians, the 26-year-old was sent out on loan to Sekhukhune United to get more playing minutes and regain his confidence.
The former SuperSport United star signed on a season-long loan which will see him stay with Babina Noko for the 2024/25 Betway Premiership season.
Since his arrival at Sekhukhune, Mbule has played three games in all competitions which has earned him a recognition from national team coach Hugo Broos.
WHAT DID MASHEGO SAY ABOUT SIPHO MBULE’S INCLUSION IN BAFANA BAFANA SQUAD?
Katlego Mashego says the attacking midfielder deserves a nod because of his qualities. The MasterChef is making the Bafana squad for the first time since 2021, when he was part of the South African team that faced Zimbabwe.
“Look, I think this [Bafana Bafana squad] is a fairly balanced team, not really much to write home about. You can see that there’s consistency in the team. Players who didn’t make the squad due to injuries are back in the team,” Mashego told FARPost.
The ex-striker added: “This means that the coach has been monitoring Mbule and just waiting for him to start getting regular game-time so that he can include him.
“So Sipho is back in the national team, and we know what he can do. I mean, this is one of the most technically gifted players in our league, and I’m sure with enough game time this season, we going to see more of his potential.”
Meanwhile, Broos has also included Yanela Mbuthuma, Ndamulelo Maphangule, and Sage Stephens, who are all making the squad for the first time for Uganda and South Sudan games in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers.
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