Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has admitted that the Mamelodi Sundowns star is no longer able to complete full matches at the highest level.
The 36-year-old from Tembisa, Johannesburg, was included in Broos’ squad after recovering from a difficult injury period that kept him out for several months.
THEMBA ZWANE TO LEAD BAFANA BAFANA AT THE 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP
Zwane recently returned to action for Sundowns, but the Belgian mentor believes the midfielder still offers something unique inside the national team setup.
Broos has often trusted experienced players during big tournaments and it now appears Zwane could once again become one of the important figures for Bafana heading into the global showpiece.
“You know how important Themba Zwane was for the national team before he was injured,” Broos told the media.
“It was difficult moment for us as coaches to find a replacement for him. And we tried several things. I was just hoping that one day Themba should be fit.
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“I was worried about it because when you’re at that age and you have that injury, it is not easy to come back. I was very happy he recovered. Now it was a question about him being fit,” Broos added.
A MAN FOR THE BIG OCCASIONS
The Sundowns midfielder has built a reputation over the years for stepping up in big moments, whether in CAF competitions, AFCON tournaments or World Cup qualifiers.
Broos now hopes the experienced playmaker can once again provide calmness and creativity when South Africa need it most.
“I know Themba is not ready to play 90 minutes at that level [World Cup]. It is impossible because he did not play very much with Sundowns,” the Bafana Bafana tactician added.
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“But he is a very good player. He can help us for 45 minutes, 60 minutes or maybe even less in a game. Themba is a player that we don’t have. He has the experience and the intelligence. He scores. At the moment we don’t really have that.
“I know we will need him in some games. Not for 90 minutes but the minutes he will play he help the team a lot. I am very happy he is with us,” Broos concluded.
The top five oldest players in FIFA World Cup history include Essam El Hadary (Egypt, 2018) at 45 years, 161 days, Faryd Mondragón (Colombia, 2014) at 43 years, 3 days, and Roger Milla (Cameroon, 1994) at 42 years, 39 days, who remains the oldest outfield player and oldest goalscorer in tournament history. Pat Jennings (Northern Ireland, 1986) featured at 41 years, while Peter Shilton (England, 1990) played at 40 years, 292 days.