Doctor Khumalo: South Africa Legend Names Top Five Players in Current Team Ahead of AFCON 2023

• Doctor Khumalo has praised the current South Africa team
• The team is making a return to the Nations Cup in January
• Khumalo starred as South Africa won AFCON 1996 on home soil

South African legend Theophilus "Doctor" Khumalo has shared his thoughts on the Bafana Bafana team ahead of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations next month in Ivory Coast.

The Rainbow Nation are making a return to the tournament after missing the 2021 edition in Cameroon last year.

South Africa has named a predominantly home-based team for the tournament which begins on January 13, 2024.

The 1996 winners will be hoping to give a good account of themselves in Ivory Coast.

However, a member of the 1996 team, Doctor Khumalo believes a lot will be based on the five best players in the team.

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“I really love all of them and they mean a lot to us as a nation,” he said, as quoted by IDiski Times.

“But based on the question, I would’ve loved to say the entire squad, but I’ll probably say Ronwen Williams, and then you have Lyle Foster, Percy Tau, Bongi Hlongwane and the last one is Themba Zwane.”

Williams, who had an outstanding Africa Football League with Mamelodi Sundowns is expected to be SA's number in Ivory with the likes of Tau and Foster playing a leading role on the pitch.

South Africa have been drawn in Group E alongside Mali, Tunisia and Namibia, as reported by Sporting News.

Yaya Toure includes South Africa in AFCON favourites

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Ivory Coast and Manchester City legend, Yaya Toure has picked his favourite teams to win the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

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The 2015 AFCON winner surprisingly ignored his own country while listing the nations he believes can win the tournament in Ivory Coast.

Toure cited qualification form as the reason for his selection, with Senegal and Guinea Bissau part of the best.

AFCON nations line up top friendlies

Sports Brief also reported that the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast is less than a month away and qualified countries are preparing feverishly ahead of the competition which begins on January 13.

Twenty-four nations will battle it out for the ultimate in the West African country from January to February 2024.

Every team participating in the continental championship has named either their provisional squad or their final list in preparation for the tournament.