Jonty Mark
Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos will name his final squad for the 2026 Fifa World Cup on Wednesday evening at a dinner hosted by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Sefako M. Makghato Presidential Guesthouse in Pretoria.
Tricky decisions for Bafana’s Broos
Broos faces some tricky decisions in whittling his squad down from the 32 players initially selected to 26.
“I am sure there will be players who are very disappointed but that is a choice I have to make,” the Bafana head coach told SABC Sport last week.
Perhaps the most difficult decision Broos has to make comes in the goalkeeping department. This is not regarding his first choice ‘keeper, who is clearly Bafana captain Ronwen Williams.
It is more to do with which two other players will accompany Williams to Mexico. Siwelele’s Ricardo Goss, Orlando Pirates’ Sipho Chaine and Kaizer Chiefs’ Brandon Petersen were the three players selected alongside Williams in the preliminary squad.
One will miss out, however, and it could be a straight shootout between Chaine and Petersen.
Chaine and Goss both went to Morocco as part of Bafana’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations squad, but it is the Pirates man whose place in the team looks fragile.
Despite keeping 21 clean sheets in the Betway Premiership this season, it is not clear if Broos entirely trusts Chaine. The Buccaneers man was left out of the Bafana squad for friendlies against Panama at the end of March.
Petersen’s late surge
Petersen, meanwhile, has made a late surge to be included after a superb season with Chiefs. And Broos admitted he would have been in the squad for the Panama matches had he not been injured.
In defence, Broos may have a problem if Sundowns left back Aubrey Modiba’s hamstring injury rules him out of the squad. That would leave an untested Bradley Cross and an inexperienced Samukele Kabini as the two left back options.
In midfield, Broos will probably take his usual four central midfielders. Brooklyn Poggenpoel and Lebo Maboe seem likely to be left at home.
In attack, Thapelo Morena is another who is an injury concern. Both he and Modiba missed Sundowns’ Caf Champions League final second leg against AS FAR on Sunday.
Orlando Pirates winger Kamogelo Sebelebele and AEL Limassol winger Thapelo Maseko are two other names who could miss out.
Mamelodi Sundowns striker Iqraam Rayners has fallen out of favour with Broos of late, and he could also be left at home if Broos decides to take only two central strikers.
Predicted final Bafana World Cup squad
Goalkeepers – Ronwen Williams, Ricardo Goss, Brandon Petersen.
Defenders – Khuliso Mudau, Thabang Matuludi, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Ime Okon, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Khulumani Ndamane, Aubrey Modiba, Samukele Kabini, Thabiso Monyane.
Midfielders – Teboho Mokoena, Jayden Adams, Thalente Mbatha, Sphephelo Sithole.
Forwards: Oswin Appollis, Lyle Foster, Themba Zwane, Relebohile Mofokeng, Evidence Makgopa, Tshepang Moremi, Thapelo Morena, Patrick Maswanganyi, Thapelo Maseko, Iqraam Rayners.
