South Africa coach Hugo Broos on Monday included 17 home-based players in a 28-man provisional squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which kicks off in Morocco on December 21.

Broos — the 73-year-old Belgian tactician who guided Bafana Bafana to a third-place finish at the 2024 AFCON in Ivory Coast — released a 28-player list that includes two travelling stand-bys, Tylon Smith and Shandre Campbell, and three players who will remain in South Africa. Smith, a central defender, is with Queens Park Rangers in England while Campbell plays for Club Brugge in Belgium. Broos admitted neither is likely to play but said he wanted them to experience life as international footballers.

Teams are permitted to name up to 28 players for the biennial tournament, though only 23 are funded by CAF while in Morocco. Broos again placed faith in domestic league stars, selecting nine players from Orlando Pirates and five from Mamelodi Sundowns — the top two clubs domestically as the league approaches its halfway point.

Among the domestically based selections is 20-year-old centre-back Mbekezeli Mbokazi of Orlando Pirates, who is reportedly poised for a move to Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire after the tournament. Burnley striker Lyle Foster is the only player chosen from a top-five European league.

Broos retained 10 members from his 2024 AFCON squad, including captain and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams — noted for saving four penalties in a shootout win over Cape Verde during the last tournament. Speaking to public broadcaster SABC from his home in Belgium, Broos said he hopes to “at least reach the semi-finals again.”

South Africa were drawn in Group B alongside Angola, seven-time champions Egypt and Zimbabwe. Group winners and runners-up will advance to the knockout stage, along with the four best third-placed teams. Broos’ selection strategy — heavy on local talent — mirrors his previous approach and underscores a belief that cohesion and domestic form can translate into continental success.