Cape Town - Bafana Bafana head coach Stuart Baxter has announced a preliminary squad of 34 players for the upcoming 2018 COSAFA Cup tournament.

All 34 have to be registered with COSAFA by Friday, May 4. The list will be trimmed down to 20 players that will take part in the tournament.

The announcement of the final squad will be made on Thursday, May 17 - and those players must be registered with COSAFA by Sunday, May 20.

Bafana Bafana assemble for camp on Saturday, May 26 and the tournament kicks off the next day in Polokwane. It runs until Sunday, June 9.

The South Africans have a bye in the first round and will only join the action at the quarter-final stage when they face the winner of Group A on Saturday, June 2. Madagascar, Mozambique, Comoros and Seychelles are in Group A, while Botswana, Angola, Mauritius and Malawi make up Group B.

The matches will be played at three venues - Old Peter Mokaba Stadium, Seshego Stadium as well as the New Peter Mokaba Stadium.

The final takes place on Sunday, June 9.

Preliminary Bafana Bafana COSAFA Cup squad:

Goalkeepers:

Bruce Bvuma (Kaizer Chiefs), Reyaad Pieterse (SuperSport United) and Brandon Petersen (Ajax Cape Town)  

Defenders:

Reeve Frosler (Bidvest Wits), Grant Kekana (Supersport United), Siyabonga Ngezana (Kaizer Chiefs), Motjeka Madisha (Mamelodi Sundowns), Siyanda Xulu (Maritzburg United), Taariq Fielies (Cape Town City), Innocent Maela (Orlando Pirates), Musa Lebusa (Ajax Cape Town), Sibusiso Mabiliso (AmaZulu), Paseka Mako (Chippa United) and Mothobi Mvala (Highlands Park)    

Midfielders:

Wiseman Meyiwa (Kaizer Chiefs), Siphesihle Ndlovu (Maritzburg United), Fortune Makaringe (Maritzburg United), Teboho Mokoena (SuperSport United), Goodman Mosele (Baroka) Aubrey Modiba (SuperSport United), Jamie Webber (SuperSport United), Thembinkosi Lorch (Orlando Pirates), Lebohang Maboe (Maritzburg United), Grant Margeman (Ajax Cape Town), Siphelele Ntshangase (Kaizer Chiefs), Abednego Mosiatlhaga (Bidvest Wits), Gift Links (Alassiouty Sport FC, Egypt), Phakamani Mahlambi (Al Ahly, Egypt) and Vincent Pule (Bidvest Wits)  

Strikers:

Gift Motupa (Baroka), Lyle Foster (Orlando Pirates), Ryan Moon (Kaizer Chiefs), Luther Singh (SC Braga B FC, Portugal) and Lebo Mothiba (Lille FC, France)