Pirates star named Bafana captain as Mosimane shakes up leadership

Published on by

Pirates star named Bafana captain as Mosimane shakes up leadership
Sipho Chaine (left) and Tshepang Moremi of South Africa's Bafana Bafana. Image - SAFA

Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane has implemented a new leadership structure, naming Ronwen Williams, Themba Zwane and Sipho Chaine as co-captains and moving away from the traditional single-skipper system.

The trio was included in Mosimane’s final squad for the upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea in Johannesburg this Thursday.

Under the previous management, the team relied on a single captain, Williams, with senior players stepping in as deputies when he was unavailable. Mosimane, however, is introducing a more flexible approach to leadership.

Sipho Chaine and Ronwen Williams are among Bafana captains.
Sipho Chaine and Ronwen Williams are among Bafana captains. Image: Orlando Pirates

Why Mosimane has shaken up leadership

The coach emphasised that leadership is not determined by age, pointing to France’s captain Kylian Mbappe as an example. He expressed a desire to cultivate leadership skills among younger players and indicated he would not hesitate to give them the armband.

“I believe in leadership in many ways,” Mosimane told iDiski Times when asked about the captaincy. “So we won’t have one captain. We have a few captains, and I will choose sometimes a captain of the day.”

Bafana Bafana midfielder Themba Zwane
Bafana Bafana midfielder Themba Zwane

“If Mbappe is a captain, I think we can have a young captain too. A captain doesn’t have to be a player just because he’s 38 or 35,” he explained.

Mosimane confirmed the new appointments while highlighting the need for developing future leaders within the squad.

Bafana coach’s demands on his captains

“Themba Zwane is one of my captains, by the way. We need young captains. We need young boys to lead, to learn how to be a captain. I don’t believe in having just one captain because if he is injured, then he’s not there,” he stated.

Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Sipho Chaine
Orlando Pirates goalkeeper Sipho Chaine. Photo: Orlando Pirates

He also noted the practical issue of a single captain needing to be a constant starter. “The captain must always be playing. If you stay with one captain, you can’t call on others, and there are a lot of players who have good leadership.”

“For your information, Chaine is going to be one of the captains, and Ronwen will also remain my captain. Let’s go for it, let’s open this thing up,” Mosimane concluded.

<!-- Author Start -->Joel Oliver<!-- Author End -->

Joel Oliver

Author

Joel Oliver is a sports journalist covering South Africa, with 16 years in sports media and a Bachelor's Degree in Communication. Focused on football analysis and responsible gambling, his work has appeared on GOAL and Pulse Sports Kenya, and he is a regular football analyst on TV and radio.

You May Also Like