Gcaba Motivated By Bafana AFCON Call-Up

Durban City defender Fezile Gcaba says he feels motivated after being included in Hugo Broos’s preliminary Bafana Bafana squad for the Africa Cup of Nations, announced last week.

Gcaba added that the call-up means a great deal to him, especially because he plays for a less fashionable club like City, who were only promoted from the Motsepe Foundation Championship at the end of last season.

Broos named a 54-man preliminary squad, which will later be trimmed to 27 players. Four of those will be funded by the association, while the remaining 23 will be covered by the Confederation of African Football.

Gcaba, who joined City from Richards Bay at the start of the season, has featured in nine matches in all competitions, scoring three goals. All three goals came in one match — a round of 16 win over Polokwane City in the Carling Knockout Cup in October.

“To be included in Hugo Broos’ squad gives me hope as a player that I’m doing something right. It also means the coach is watching my games,” said Gcaba.

“Now, as a player, it means I have to perform even better to make the final AFCON squad. There are many top players at that level, but this motivates me a lot. I’m happy to be recognised, and it shows that people are watching my performances — it’s a proud moment, especially for a team that has just been promoted to the PSL.”

SAFA confirmed that the final squad for AFCON, which will take place in Morocco from 21 December to 18 January 2026, will be announced in the coming days.

In the meantime, Gcaba and City have a big task ahead as they continue their impressive start to the season. They host Orlando Pirates in a Betway Premiership clash at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Saturday.

A win for City would move them up to either third or fourth in the table, depending on other results this weekend, while a Pirates victory or a draw would see the Soweto giants climb to the top of the standings.