Bafana News Today: Nkota on Broos, World Cup miss, SA & Co. unhappy with UEFA President and more…

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Bafana News Today: Nkota on Broos, World Cup miss, SA & Co. unhappy with UEFA President and more…

Latest news about Bafana Bafana, including Mohau Nkota opening up on Hugo Broos, South Africa among countries unhappy with UEFA President & more.

Nkota on Broos despite World Cup miss

Mohau Nkota has expressed his gratitude to Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos, despite the injury that denied him the chance to be part of South Africa’s 2026 FIFA World Cup squad.

Nkota recently underwent knee surgery after suffering a meniscus tear in training, an injury that ruled him out of the Saudi club’s final matches of the season and ultimately cost him a place in Broos’ World Cup squad.

While disappointed to miss the tournament, the 21-year-old made it clear that he remains appreciative of the Belgian coach’s role in his career and in South African football’s recent resurgence.

“I think, for me, he’s done a lot for the team, especially during the qualifiers. We can see now that the team is playing on the big stage, so he’s done a lot of work,” Nkota opened up to the media.

Mohau Nkota and Hugo Broos, the Bafana Bafana coach.
Mohau Nkota and Hugo Broos, the Bafana Bafana coach. Image: SAFA

“I’m very thankful to him for introducing me to the national team. So, I just want to say thank you to him. Unfortunately, I couldn’t be with him for the last time now. But I hope he will enjoy his next move,” he added.

South Africa & Co. unhappy with UEFA President

SAFA has released a statement in conjunction with 13 other nations to express their “profound disappointment in recent comments made by UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin.

The statement was made after Ceferin reportedly criticised the expanded 48-team World Cup, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico, the first iteration of this.

“The Football Associations of Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Congo, Haiti, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and South Africa express their profound disappointment following the recent comments made by UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin regarding the expansion of the FIFA World Cup and his characterization of many matches as being “uninteresting,” read a joint statement.

“We respectfully but firmly reject these comments. “For our countries, there is no such thing as an unimportant World Cup match.

‘For Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan, qualification for the FIFA World Cup represents a historic achievement and the realization of a dream shared by generations.

SAFA President Danny Jordaan
Danny Jordaan. Photo credit: Imago

“For nations such as Congo and Haiti, returning to football’s biggest stage after a long absence carries a special meaning for millions of supporters who have waited years, and in some cases decades, for this moment.

“To suggest that these matches are somehow less important is deeply disappointing and fails to recognize the efforts, sacrifices and aspirations of players, coaches, clubs, football leaders and supporters across the world,” part of it read.

<!-- Author Start -->Willis Sob<!-- Author End -->

Willis Sob

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Willis Sob is a sports betting expert and journalist covering Nigeria and South Africa, with 16 years of experience. With a background in journalism, reporting and programme production, he specialises in football odds, and his work has appeared on OK Africa and GOAL, as well as TV, radio and podcasts.

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