Hugo Broos says his World Cup squad is taking shape, but the final spots are still up for grabs. Photo: Ayanda Ndamane Independent Media
Image: Ayanda Ndamane Independent Media
Coach Hugo Broos says he is close to finalising the Bafana Bafana squad that will represent the country and continent at the Fifa World Cup 2026, although there are still areas he wants to focus on.
Bafana have already begun their preparations for the global showpiece. They will face Panama national football team in their second international friendly of this window at DHL Stadium on Tuesday (kick-off 7.30pm), after the two sides played to a 1–1 draw in their first encounter in Durban last Friday.
Broos was satisfied with his team’s preparations, despite their wastefulness in front of goal. He has urged his players to be at their best in the Mother City and give the sold-out crowd value for their money.
Speaking during a pre-match press conference at the World Cup venue on Monday, Broos revealed how close he is to finalising the squad that will travel to Mexico at the end of May.
“Let’s say 70% of the selection is already in my head. But everything depends on the players’ condition: maybe next week they won’t play for their teams, or they could get injured – those kinds of things,” said Broos.
“I won’t change my mind even if we play a bad game tonight but there are still some positions I want to assess next week before making my final decision. We played well on Friday, so I hope we perform well again tomorrow.”
While he is pleased with the team’s performances and overall progress over the past five years, Broos admitted they are not yet fully ready to compete at football’s biggest stage.
“There’s still work to be done because we are going to the World Cup, and that’s something different,” he said.
“We have to focus on certain details and get them right beforehand. We’ll work on that in the first 12 days leading up to the tournament.”