Bafana Bafana Suffer Blow

Siyabonga Ngezana Left Out of Bafana Bafana’s World Cup Squad?

Siyabonga Ngezana has reportedly been left disappointed after allegedly being excluded from South Africa’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This claim was made by Lucian Filip, caretaker coach of Romanian giants FCSB, who revealed that the defender had not been selected and was struggling to come to terms with the setback.

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Filip made these comments ahead of FCSB’s match against Hermannstadt on Monday evening. According to him, Ngezana had learned he would not be travelling to the global showpiece in North America. “No, Siyabonga Ngezana was not called up to the World Cup. He is disappointed, but that’s life, football doesn’t end here,” Filip said, as reported by Romanian outlet Antena AS. “He has to respect his club, because of the club he was in the national team’s attention. I hope he will be present at the next Championship.”

Ngezana’s World Cup Hopes Dashed

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has not publicly announced a provisional World Cup squad, despite FIFA allowing nations to submit preliminary lists of up to 55 players. The deadline for provisional squad submissions passed on May 14, meaning some players are already believed to know whether they remain in contention for the final squad. If Filip’s comments are accurate, Ngezana appears to be among those overlooked.

Injury Struggles Hurt Ngezana’s World Cup Chances

The reported omission follows a difficult campaign for the former Kaizer Chiefs defender. For the first time since joining FCSB, Ngezana will end the season without silverware, while injuries severely disrupted his momentum. He has managed only 16 league appearances this season after spending an extended period on the sidelines. His injury troubles had already raised concerns over whether he would regain fitness in time to push for World Cup selection.

Bafana Bafana’s World Cup Fixtures

Bafana Bafana’s coach, Hugo Broos, will confirm his final 26-man squad on Wednesday, May 27. Ngezana has played 95 matches for Kaizer Chiefs in all competitions between 2017 and 2023 and has 14 Bafana Bafana caps to his name.

Here are Bafana Bafana’s Group A FIFA World Cup 2026 fixtures (SA times):

• Thursday, June 11: Mexico vs South Africa, Estadio Azteca, Mexico City – 21:00
• Thursday, June 18: Czech Republic vs South Africa, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta – 18:00
• Thursday, June 25: South Africa vs Korea Republic, Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe – 03:00