Injury blow sees Chiefs’ Shabalala called up for crucial Bafana Bafana qualifiers

Injury blow sees Chiefs’ Shabalala called up for crucial Bafana Bafana qualifiers

Zuko Komisa

• Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Mduduzi Shabalala has been urgently called up to the Bafana Bafana squad to replace the injured Orlando Pirates star Relebohile Mofokeng.
• The change comes ahead of South Africa’s crucial final two FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Rwanda this week, where the team must secure maximum points to chase qualification.
• Coach Hugo Broos confirmed Shabalala’s addition following Mofokeng’s injury, as Bafana Bafana navigates a tight qualifying group to secure a place at the 2026 tournament.

Kaizer Chiefs midfielder Mduduzi Shabalala has received an eleventh-hour call-up to the Bafana Bafana squad, replacing the injured Orlando Pirates attacker Relebohile Mofokeng, ahead of South Africa’s critical final two FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.

Mofokeng was forced to withdraw from the national team camp after sustaining an injury during a Carling Knockout Cup fixture over the weekend. Speaking on Monday, Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos confirmed the change, noting that Shabalala was immediately drafted in to fill the void.

This marks a second successive call-up to the qualifiers for the young Chiefs star, who was previously part of the squad for the Lesotho and Nigeria fixtures.

The change comes as the national team faces an intense, do-or-die scenario in their bid to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Following a recent FIFA ruling that docked Bafana Bafana three points for fielding an ineligible player earlier in the campaign, South Africa now sit joint-second in Group C with 14 points, level with Benin.