The 26 players who will represent South Africa at the 2026 Fifa World Cup have been revealed. In total six players were cut from the preliminary squad, with one of those unfortunate to miss out being Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Brandon Petersen. Coach Hugo Broos has explained his some of his choices.
After selecting his final 2026 World Cup squad, Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos opened up on the emotions and struggles that come with choosing such a team before such a major tournament. Broos initially selected a 32-player group. However, he had to trim it down to 26.
At a press conference held in Sandton the day after his squad selection, which he made on 27 May, Broos explained some of the reasoning behind his choices. The Belgian tactician said that the pursuit of balance was one the driving factors in how he had chosen to stack his cards as SA returns to the global stage for the first time in almost two decades.
"Helman [Mkhalele, assistant coach] and I had to make some difficult decisions," Broos told journalists. "But I am excited, just like the 26 chosen players and the technical staff. In football, the World Cup is the biggest tournament and the highest level that you compete in as a coach and as a player. Especially because it's so long ago that SA was present at the tournament."
The chosen ones
The squad is headlined by Mamelodi Sundowns superstars such as Ronwen Williams, Teboho Mokoena and Khuliso Mudau....
