According to the PSL, the 25-year-old Bidvest Wits midfielder has been asked by Shakes Mashaba to fill the void left by late injury withdrawals to two defenders, Racing Genk's Anele Ngcongca and Ajax Cape Town's Ayabulela Magqwaka.
Mashaba had opted against calling up a replacement for Aya Magqwaka, who was injured during a friendly against Santos, but the coach's hand was forced when Anele Ngcongca failed to arrive at the training camp in Rustenburg. Mashaba has now decided to add another player to the national team's squad as cover.
Nhlapo, into his second season with Wits, plays predominately as a midfielder and has featured in all seven PSL fixtures for the Clever Boys.
OfficiaPSL's tweet:
Siyabonga Nhlapho has replaced Anele Ngcongca (injury) in the Bafana Bafana squad to face Congo. #AFCON2015
— Official PSL (@OfficialPSL) October 8, 2014
Bafana Bafana will depart on Thursday afternoon for Point-Noire, the Republic of Congo's second largest city after its capital Brazzaville.
The match will be played on an artificial surface at the Stade Municipal in Pointe-Noire.
They return to South Africa on Sunday, ahead of next week's return fixture against the Red Devils in Polokwane.
Bafana Bafana fixtures:
Saturday, October 11, Congo v SA (Pointe Noire) - 16:30
Wednesday, October 15, SA v Congo (Peter Mokaba Stadium) - 20:05