Hugo Broos Names Bafana Bafana’s 50 Man Preliminary AFCON 2023 Squad

• South Africa has announced its preliminary squad for the Africa Cup of Nations
• Hugo Broos has named 50 players in his provisional list for the Mundial
• South Africa will kick off its AFCON campaign on 16 January against Mali

Hugo Broos has released South Africa’s provisional 50-man squad for the upcoming 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, slated to kick off on January 13 in Ivory Coast.

The squad consists primarily of familiar faces that helped Bafana Bafana qualify for the AFCON, with Siyabonga Ngezana, Melusi Buthelezi, and Patrick Maswanganyi among those picked.

According to The Citizen, Stellenbosch’s left-back Fawaaz Basadien also made the preliminary list, as has Orlando Pirates midfielder Patrick Maswanganyi and AmaZulu striker Tshepang Moremi.

Others also in the provisional squad include Burnley’s Lyle Foster, who is battling mental illness and midfielder Bathusi Aubaas of Mamelodi Sundowns, who has been out for an extended period with an injury.

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Broos will have to trim the South African team down to 23 players for his final squad list by January 3, according to Confederation of African Football regulations.

South Africa’s road to AFCON 2023

Meanwhile, South Africa will begin their quest for a second Africa Cup of Nations title when they kick off their campaign against Mali in their opening game in Group E on January 16, iDiski Times reports.

Bafana Bafana will next take on Namibia on 21 January and a match-up with Tunisia in their final group game on 24 January to determine their fate in the knockout rounds.

Only the top two teams from each group will be guaranteed to qualify for the knockout stages, while the four best in third-place countries will also make the AFCON last 16.

Broos set to submit squad

Earlier, Sports Brief reported Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos is gearing up to submit his preliminary squad to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations finals scheduled in the Ivory Coast.

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The final squad list will be conveyed to CAF between January 2 and 3 next year, with the squad scheduled to assemble for the tournament on January 4, 2024.

While preparations for the tournament intensify, talks between the South African Football Association (SAFA) and Bafana players regarding bonus fees are reportedly at a standstill.