Pitso Mosimane’s return to the Bafana Bafana hot seat will be put to an immediate test when South Africa begins its 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign later this month, with the newly appointed coach wasting little time in putting his stamp on the national team.

Mosimane, who was officially unveiled as Bafana coach this week, announced his first preliminary squad on Friday, selecting a 35-man group for crucial qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea.

The squad gives an early indication of how Mosimane intends to approach his third stint with the national team. While he has retained much of the core that served under his predecessor Hugo Broos, several returning players and new faces have been handed an opportunity to impress.

Among those included are experienced campaigners such as captain Ronwen Williams, Teboho Mokoena, Themba Zwane, Lyle Foster and Iqraam Rayners, while the squad also features new players such as Lebohang Maboe, Cassius Mailula, Luther Singh, Shandre Campbell, Tashreeq Matthews and Puso Dithejane.

Dithejane has taken MSL by storm since joining US outfit Chicago Fire early this year, where he has been named Player of the Month for August.

Mosimane’s selection comes at a time when Bafana are expected to build on the progress made under Broos, who guided the team to the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and third place at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

The 62-year-old coach returns with expectations considerably higher than during his previous spell in charge. Since leaving Bafana, Mosimane has established himself as one of the continent’s most successful coaches, winning the CAF Champions League with Mamelodi Sundowns and twice with Egyptian giants Al Ahly.

His first competitive assignment will be against Guinea on September 26, when Bafana begin their Group D campaign at home. Four days later, they face Eritrea in an away fixture being played in Egypt because of Eritrea’s lack of a suitable home venue.

The qualifiers leave Mosimane with little time to experiment. He has inherited a team that has recently enjoyed one of the strongest periods in its history, meaning his immediate challenge will be to introduce his ideas without disrupting the foundations laid by Broos.

The coach has already acknowledged the work done by his predecessor and indicated that the focus will be on combining experienced players with emerging talent.

On October 4 in Cairo, Bafana will face Egypt in a friendly match — in what could provide an even clearer picture of Mosimane’s tactical direction and the players he sees as part of his long-term plans.

For now, however, the priority is qualification.

With Kenya, as one of the co-hosts of the 2027 tournament, automatically qualifying, South Africa’s group provides little room for complacency.

Mosimane’s Bafana must negotiate Guinea and Eritrea successfully if they are to secure their place at the continental showpiece.

The first squad announcement has done more than name the players who will report for duty. It has opened the first chapter of Mosimane’s latest Bafana project.