Six Bafana players axed by Broos headed to World Cup

Six players who were left out of the final Bafana Bafana squad will still travel to Mexico for the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, thanks to an initiative by Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie.

Despite being present at the squad announcement at the Union Buildings in Pretoria on Wednesday, Brandon Petersen, Lebohang Maboe, Thabiso Monyane, Patrick Maswanganyi, Thapelo Morena, and Brooklyn Poggenpoel were ultimately not selected by coach Hugo Broos for his final 26-man roster.

In a gesture of recognition, McKenzie announced a partnership with Old School to send all six players to witness the tournament’s opening game in Mexico.

McKenzie on players’ trip to Mexico

“These six men trained, sacrificed, and prepared with the same dedication as every player in that squad,” McKenzie stated as quoted by Soccer Laduma. “They were part of this journey.”

The Minister emphasised that the players’ contributions should not be overlooked despite not making the final selection.

“The margin between making the final cut and missing out at a World Cup is razor-thin, and it would be wrong for that margin to mean that their contribution simply disappears,” he added. “They deserve to be there, and they deserve to see what they helped build.”

 ‘Impossible’ decision for Bafana coach

McKenzie acknowledged the difficult decisions faced by the national team coach.

“Hugo Broos had to make impossible choices this week, and we accept this. It is in the nature of sport, because disappointment for some is the inescapable flip side of glory for others,” he explained. “But such choices should not be the last word on what these six men mean to Bafana Bafana and to this country. They remain part of the family.”