Ndamane poised for AFCON and World Cup, says Galaxy coach

TS Galaxy coach Adnan Beganovic has praised the growth of his centre-back Khulumani Ndamane as they prepare to face Golden Arrows in the quarterfinals of the Carling Knockout on Sunday (3pm kickoff).

Ndamane has been a key figure for the Rockets over the past two seasons and has played a pivotal role in their resurgence after a challenging start to the current campaign.

However, despite his presence, Galaxy were unable to avoid their fourth Betway Premiership defeat of the season, falling 2-1 to Magesi FC in their latest outing, after having secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Orbit College to reach the Carling Knockout quarterfinals for the second consecutive year.

The 21-year-old was also central to Bafana Bafana’s recent success, helping the national team secure qualification for the 2026 Fifa World Cup after being thrust into the starting eleven in a high-stakes match against Rwanda which saw them win by a convincing 3-0 scoreline. 

Beganovic believes Ndamane has a real chance to feature in both the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and next year’s World Cup, and praised national team coach Hugo Broos for his willingness to trust young talent.

“He needs to be there because he has the quality. I was very happy because Broos is not afraid to play young players,” Beganovic said.

“He (Broos) tries to find quality, and I thought all the players were of high quality — especially the Orlando Pirates central defender (Mbekezeli Mbokazi), Khulumani, and (Nkosinathi) Sibisi.

“Khulumani is one of the players that deserves a chance to go to the AFCON and also the World Cup. I think with him being left-footed and at his age, he is the future of the national team, and also of some of the top clubs in this league.”

While high in praise for his defender, Beganovic also cautioned Ndamane against complacency, stressing that his qualities must be honed further as competition intensifies over the coming months.

“When you play for the national team, and for one of the biggest countries in Africa, you need to work hard to stay at the top level. He needs to push himself at every training session because now every session is like a final for him.

“He is young, and this is only his second season in the league. With his ability on long balls and his reading of the game, he has a bright future ahead.”

Beganovic added that the future of South African football is secure, given the youthful average age of the Bafana squad, which will carry the national team beyond next year’s global tournament.

“It was a huge success for the whole country to be represented at the World Cup for the first time since 2002 and 2010, when they were hosts.

“It was an amazing job by Hugo Broos, and I was proud to see that 99% of the players ply their trade in the domestic PSL. With most players aged between 20 and 30, Bafana will have a strong and quality squad for the next ten years.”