Mkhalele Announces Bafana Preliminary Squad for COSAFA Cup South Africa’s Bafana Bafana coach, Helman Mkhalele, has named a preliminary squad of 25 players for the upcoming COSAFA Cup tournament. The tournament will be held in Durban from July 5-17, and Bafana will be aiming to defend their title after winning the competition in 2019. The squad includes a mix of experienced players and up-and-coming talents, with the likes of captain Ronwen Williams, Thulani Hlatshwayo, Percy Tau, and Keagan Dolly all included. Mkhalele said that he was pleased with the squad he had selected, and that he was confident that they could perform well in the tournament. “This is a strong squad with a good balance of experience and youth,” Mkhalele said. “We have a lot of quality in the team, and I believe that we can go far in the competition.” The final squad of 23 players will be announced on June 29. Preliminary Squad: Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns), Veli Mothwa (AmaZulu), Bryce Moon (Mamelodi Sundowns) Defenders: Thulani Hlatshwayo (Mamelodi Sundowns), Ricardo Nascimento (Mamelodi Sundowns), Sifiso Hlanti (Orlando Pirates), Ethan Brooks (AmaZulu), Lyle Lakay (Mamelodi Sundowns) Midfielders: Andile Jali (Mamelodi Sundowns), Goodman Mosele (Orlando Pirates), Teboho Mokoena (Mamelodi Sundowns), Keagan Dolly (Kaizer Chiefs), Ethan Wady (AmaZulu), Nkosingiphile Ngcobo (Kaizer Chiefs), Mihlali Mayambela (AmaZulu) Forwards: Percy Tau (Al Ahly), Lyle Foster (Burnley), Victor Letsoalo (Royal AM), Fagrie Lakay (Mamelodi Sundowns), Monnapule Saleng (Orlando Pirates)COSAFA Cup: Bafana Bafana Announce Expanded Preliminary SquadCOSAFA Cup: Bafana Bafana Announce Expanded Preliminary Squad Coach Helman Mkhalele has unveiled a 51-member preliminary squad for South Africa’s participation in this year’s COSAFA Cup. The tournament will be held from June 26 to July 7 in host country Eswatini. Hosts Bafana Bafana have been drawn into Group A alongside Botswana, Mozambique, and Eswatini. The group matches will take place from June 26 to July 3. The semi-finals will be held on July 5, followed by the final and third-place playoff on July 7. The full draw for the COSAFA Cup 2024 is as follows: Group A: * South Africa * Mozambique * Eswatini * Botswana Group B: * Zambia * Team to be confirmed * Comoros * Zimbabwe Group C: * Angola * Namibia * Lesotho * Seychelles Coach Mkhalele is expected to announce the final 23-member squad in the coming days.Bafana Bafana coach Helman Mkhalele has named a preliminary squad of 23 players for the upcoming COSAFA Cup in South Africa. The tournament will be held from July 7-18, with Bafana Bafana set to open their campaign against Botswana on July 7. Mkhalele has included a number of experienced players in his squad, including captain Ronwen Williams, Thulani Hlatshwayo, and Percy Tau. There are also some new faces in the squad, including Orlando Pirates defender Nkosinathi Sibisi and Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Teboho Mokoena. Bafana Bafana will play two warm-up matches before the COSAFA Cup, against Angola on June 29 and Mozambique on July 3. The final squad of 23 players will be announced on July 5. Bafana Bafana squad: Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns), Bruce Bvuma (Kaizer Chiefs), Veli Mothwa (AmaZulu) Defenders: Thulani Hlatshwayo (Mamelodi Sundowns), Nkosinathi Sibisi (Orlando Pirates), Sifiso Hlanti (Swallows FC), Thapelo Morena (Mamelodi Sundowns), Athenkosi Mcaba (DStv Premiership) Midfielders: Teboho Mokoena (Mamelodi Sundowns), Bongani Zungu (Royal AM), Fortune Makaringe (Maritzburg United), Sipho Mbule (SuperSport United), Ethan Brooks (Mamelodi Sundowns) Forwards: Percy Tau (Al Ahly), Kermit Erasmus (Mamelodi Sundowns), Fagrie Lakay (Cape Town City), Thabiso Kutumela (Mamelodi Sundowns), Lyle Foster (Burnley)