The absence of Rushine de Reuck and Siyanda Xulu, who had forged a decent central defensive partnership during the World Cup qualifiers last year, from Bafana Bafana's squad to face Morocco could be unpropitious.

Bafana face Morocco in their opening game of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers at Rabat's Moulay Abdellah Stadium on Thursday at 9pm SA time. Liberia is the other nation in Bafana's Group K after Zimbabwe were disqualified due to a Fifa ban. Bafana will depart for Morocco on Saturday.

With Xulu and De Reuck not included, Bafana are compelled to try a new central defensive pairing. De Reuck's Mamelodi Sundowns teammate Grant Kekana, Taariq Fielies of Cape Town City and Portuguese-based Thibang Phete are the only natural choices to select the new combination from. Orlando Pirates left-back Innocent Maela is also capable of playing in the heart of defence.

Xulu is unattached since unceremoniously leaving his Israeli side Hapoel Tel Aviv in February, hence the exclusion. De Reuck has been sidelined by an unspecified injury, missing his side's last six games of the season including the Nedbank Cup final last Saturday.

There are bound to be teething problems in trying out a new combination in the heart of defence but Bafana goalkeeper and skipper Ronwen Williams believes they will be OK withou Xulu and De Reuck. “The three replacements are the experienced guys, so there's no problem at all. We'll be OK. It's someone else's opportunity now,'' said Williams.

“Fillies has won so many things with Cape Town City. Grant is a treble champion now and I played with him for so many years [at SuperSport United before he joined Sundowns at the start of the season], so it's not youngsters coming in. I am not concerned. It's just for me to marshal them and keep a strong bond because that's what we had in the World Cup qualifiers. Phete [who plays for Belenenses in Portugal] is a big boy as well.”