TS Galaxy star Khulumani Ndamane backed for Bafana duty in Morocco

The 21-year-old impressed alongside Nkosinathi Sibisi when South Africa beat Rwanda 3–0 to seal qualification for next year’s FIFA World Cup.

Bafana Bafana will face Angola, Egypt, and Zimbabwe in Group B at AFCON, and with coach Hugo Broos set to name his final squad in the coming weeks, Beganovic says Ndamane’s performances for The Rockets has given him a fighting chance.

"He needs to be in that AFCON squad because he has the quality. I was so happy to hear that Hugo Broos is not afraid to give young players the opportunity to play at the international level.

"I think together with Mbokazi, Khulumani Ndamane represents the future of the Bafana Bafana defence."

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Beganovic was then asked how he has navigated keeping Ndamane grounded following his recent Bafana Bafana call-up.

"That is a good question, because after playing for your country and fighting to be part of the World Cup takes a lot of emotion out of you, and after that, it can be difficult to refocus back on club football.

"If he wants to stay at the top level, he must understand that he needs to work hard in every training session and treat every session like it's his final game."

Beganovic, speaking before Saturday’s Carling Knockout quarterfinal against Golden Arrows, praised Galaxy’s growth since their FIFA ban was lifted.

"Pre-season was tough; we started the season with only thirteen senior players and three DDC players, and we survived because we gave everything we had. Now, the situation is much better; we have 26 outfield players at every session."