Bafana Bafana Snub: 3 Fan Faves to Miss World Cup

The countdown to the FIFA World Cup 2026 has begun, with just 40 days left until the tournament kicks off. As coach Hugo Broos prepares to announce his preliminary and final Bafana Bafana squad, three local fan favorites are unlikely to make the cut.

This is an exciting time for South African football, with Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates expected to form the core of the squad. However, for Thembinkosi Lorch, Percy Tau, and Monnapule Saleng, the news is not promising.

Missing Out on the World Cup

Lorch’s career has taken a downturn since leaving Orlando Pirates in 2024. Despite attempts to revive his career with moves to Mamelodi Sundowns and Wydad Casablanca, he has failed to regain his form. His recent transfer to Al-Ittihad SC in Libya for a reported €1.1 million fee may have come too late to save his Bafana Bafana ambitions. In a recent interview with Robert Marawa on

, Broos confirmed that Lorch is unlikely to be included in the World Cup squad.

The Decline of Percy Tau

Percy Tau, once a star player for Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly, has experienced a significant decline in his career. His lackluster performance ahead of AFCON 2024 led to his exclusion from future squads, including the recent 23-man squad that faced Panama in friendlies. Now playing for Thep Xanh Nam Dinh FC in Vietnam, Tau has scored only one goal in nine appearances this season, making it unlikely that he will be part of the World Cup squad.

Monnapule Saleng’s Struggles

Monnapule Saleng, once a fan favorite and PSL Player of the Season, has seen his career take a drastic turn. After falling out of favor with Orlando Pirates, he was loaned to Orbit College and later joined Mamelodi Sundowns in the January 2026 transfer window. However, Saleng’s current form is not impressive, and it seems unlikely that he will be included in Broos’s World Cup squad.