Orlando Pirates midfielder Sipho Mbule has made a long-awaited return to the South African national team after receiving his first call-up since 2021.
His inclusion comes after teammate Patrick Masangwanyi suffered an injury and was stretchered off in the 75th minute during Pirates’ 3-0 away victory over Chippa United on Sunday.
For Mbule, the call-up carries deeper significance. The Bethlehem-born playmaker has been a familiar figure in the youth national structures, having trained with the South Africa Under-17s (Amajimbos). However, he narrowly missed out on representing the country at the Under-17 World Cup in Chile, instead featuring for his school side, Harmony Sport Academy in the Engen Knockout Challenge.
Since then, the midfielder popularly known as “The Master Chef” has steadily climbed the ranks, wearing national colours at the Under-20 and Under-23 levels.
His return to the senior squad ahead of crucial World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Nigeria represents a chance to capitalise on a rare opportunity on the global stage.
“I’m happy to be back in the national team,” Mbule told Orlandopiratesfc.com in an exclusive interview. “As you all know it’s been a while without wearing national team colours.I’m glad to have worked my way back to the national team now it’s for me to work again to stay here.”
The 28-year-old’s return to the national setup comes shortly after his move to the Buccaneers. In just a handful of appearances donning the famous black and white, he has not only impressed hordes of Bucs fans, but also caught the eye of Bafana mentor Hugo Broos.
Having made a short cameo in South Africa’s previous World Cup qualifying campaign, Mbule now has a chance to play a bigger role in ensuring the country’s long-awaited return to the global showpiece.
With four fixtures remaining, a solid showing in the current international break could secure a ticket to North America. This would mark the end of a lengthy absence from the world’s most premier football tournament.
According to Mbule, bagging all points on offer in the games against Likuena and the Super Eagles is of high importance.
“We all know how important these two games are for our country,” he said. “We wanna win both games and qualify for the World Cup.”
South Africa are away to Lesotho for their next fixture, held at Dr Molemela Stadium in Bloemfontein this Friday. They remain in the same city for their clash against Nigeria, which takes place at Free State Stadium. Both matches kick off at 18:00 (SAST).
