Lebone Seema's Rise at Orlando Pirates and Bafana Bafana Call-Up
Lebone Seema’s rise at Orlando Pirates has kicked into a new gear – and now the national team has come calling.
The young defender’s form has earned him a place in Pitso Mosimane’s final Bafana Bafana squad for the looming AFCON qualifiers, a selection that feels like the natural next step after his recent performances in black and white.
On Thursday night at Orlando Stadium, Seema did more than just defend. He scored in Pirates’ 2-0 win over Durban City, another marker in a season that keeps gathering momentum. After the final whistle, 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,” Ouaddou said, before turning his praise towards Mosimane. “I thank as well Pitso to call him. It means that he was following his work since last season. He's the future.”
For Ouaddou, this is not a surprise story or an overnight success. It is the product of deliberate, sometimes unforgiving, work on the training ground.
Hard coaching, big rewards
The Moroccan coach did not hide how tough he has been on Seema.
“He's somebody that has the good mentality, professional, coachable,” he 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.”
Then came the revealing part.
“He starts to know me now. Sometimes I can be hard with him. 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 details have become the backbone of Seema’s evolution. Not just a stopper, but a defender who can build play, mix his distribution, and stand up in physical battles. That blend now goes on trial in the international arena.
Ouaddou believes that same willingness to absorb tactical detail will serve Seema well under Mosimane’s demanding eye in the Bafana setup.
“But of course, like you said, he has a lot of matches of progression,” the coach added. “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.”
A new face for Bafana’s back line
As South Africa gears up for crucial AFCON qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea, Seema walks into camp as part of a new wave under Mosimane. He is viewed as a long-term piece in the national team’s defensive puzzle, trusted not only for his versatility but also for his composure on the ball.
With Ouaddou vowing to “be hard” on him back in Mayfair, there is little danger of the youngster easing off now that he has a Bafana cap within reach. The pressure will stay high at club level, and the expectations will spike with every national team session.
The upcoming international break offers him a different kind of test – sharing a dressing room with the country’s best, fighting for minutes, and proving he can translate club form into performances on the biggest stage in South African football.
“He's the future of South Africa. We have such talent in that position in South Africa,” Ouaddou concluded. “I hope this call will give him confidence to continue to work, to grow. Again, thanks to Pitso to see his qualities.”
Now it is over to Seema. The door to Bafana Bafana is open. What he does with it could define South Africa’s defensive line for years to come.
