PSL’s congested fixture list sabotages Bafana’s preparation

AS the weekend's Betway Premiership fixtures conclude tomorrow, the looming challenge for Bafana Bafana has become all the more urgent.

- HERMAN GIBBS

The national squad, largely made up of players from Orlando Pirates and Mamelodi Sundowns, is nearing the point of exhaustion.

With five rounds of league matches and MTNS& fixtures crammed into just one month, many of these players are running on empty — just days before they are expected to report for national duty ahead of the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifiers. The strain has been particularly evident despite the season still being in its early stages. Mamelodi Sundowns, who have six players called up by coach Hugo Broos, have endured a punishing run of games, further compounded by their curtailed preseason due to participation in the FIFA Club World Cup.