Lebone Seema’s Call-Up to Bafana Bafana for AFCON Qualifiers
Lebone Seema’s rise at Orlando Pirates has hit a new peak, and the reward is as big as it gets: a place in Pitso Mosimane’s final Bafana Bafana squad for the looming AFCON qualifiers.
The young defender underlined his form on Thursday night at Orlando Stadium, getting on the scoresheet in the Buccaneers’ 2-0 win over Durban City. The result mattered. His performance mattered more.
Ouaddou’s project pays off
As the final whistle went, Pirates head coach Abdeslam Ouaddou made it clear this call-up was no fluke.
"First of all, I really congratulate him and all the other members of the team who have been called to the national team," he said, before turning his thanks to the man now in charge of Seema’s next step. "I thank as well Pitso [Mosimane] to call him. It means that he was following his work since last season."
Then came the line that tells you exactly what Ouaddou thinks of his defender.
"He's the future."
For the Moroccan coach, Seema’s elevation to the national team is a natural progression, not a surprise. He has seen the daily grind, the mentality, the willingness to be pushed.
"But I'm not surprised he's somebody that has the good mentality, professional, coachable," Ouaddou explained. "It's very important for me because to improve, you need to be coachable and you need to be able to understand and to listen."
Hard lessons, sharper edges
The relationship between the two has not been soft. Ouaddou openly admits he has driven Seema hard, especially last season.
"He starts to know me now. Sometimes I can be hard with him," he said. "Last season, I was really, really hard with him. But for his good, for his performance, we spoke a lot, we worked a lot about the quality of his passes, the alternation of short passes, long passes, the duels."
Those are the details that separate a promising defender from an international one. Short to long. Timing of passes. One-on-one duels. Decision-making under pressure. Ouaddou believes that constant drilling has accelerated Seema’s development and prepared him for the demands of international football.
Now, with a Bafana call-up in hand, Seema carries that work into a new environment.
From Mayfair to Mosimane
The step up is significant, but Ouaddou is convinced his defender’s tactical intelligence will translate under Mosimane’s guidance.
"But of course, like you said, he has a lot of matches of progression," he said, underlining that this is a journey, not a destination. "I'm really, really happy. Our technical staff and the club are very happy about this call. I hope he's going to continue and to bring us this experience as well from the national team."
South Africa’s upcoming AFCON qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea arrive at a crucial moment for the national side. They also arrive at exactly the right time for Seema. He walks into camp as part of a new wave of talent Mosimane is shaping, a defender viewed as a long-term piece in Bafana’s back line.
His versatility and comfort on the ball give him an edge. He is not just there to fill a gap; he is there to offer solutions.
Back at Mayfair, though, there will be no easing off. Ouaddou has already promised to keep the standards high, to keep the pressure on. Complacency is not on the table.
The international break now offers Seema a different kind of test: to prove that the form he has shown in black and white can hold up in green and gold, against the best South Africa can call on.
"He's the future of South Africa. We have such talent in that position in South Africa. I hope this call will give him confidence to continue to work, to grow. Again, thanks to Pitso to see his qualities," Ouaddou concluded.
The stage is set. The question now is whether Lebone Seema can turn promise into permanence on the international stage.
