South Africa 32: Broos Names Preliminary Bafana Squad for First World Cup Since 2010, Williams Captains, Foster and Mokoena Headline
Belgian coach Hugo Broos has named a 32-man preliminary Bafana Bafana squad for the 2026 World Cup, with one cut to 26 due before the FIFA deadline on June 2. Captain Ronwen Williams leads a group built around the Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates cores, with nine players from each club, plus Burnley striker Lyle Foster and midfielder Teboho Mokoena. Bafana open Group A against co-hosts Mexico in Mexico City on June 11, in a fixture that echoes the 2010 opener on home soil.
S outh Africa are heading back to a World Cup for the first time since hosting the tournament in 2010. Head coach Hugo Broos has named a 32-man preliminary Bafana Bafana squad, to be trimmed to the FIFA-required 26 before the June 2 deadline. Captain Ronwen Williams leads a group built around the Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates cores, with Burnley striker Lyle Foster and midfielder Teboho Mokoena the senior European-touched figures in the group.
A 16-year wait ends
The last Bafana World Cup was the 2010 tournament that South Africa hosted, remembered for Siphiwe Tshabalala's opener against Mexico and the vuvuzela soundtrack. This time the team arrives not as host but as one of the qualifiers, and the symmetry is sharp: their opening game on June 11 is again against Mexico, this time in Mexico City. Broos has stabilised the team since taking over in 2021, lifting it back into AFCON contention before steering through the African qualifying path to North America.
The full preliminary 32
Goalkeepers (4): Ronwen Williams (captain, Mamelodi Sundowns), Ricardo Goss, Sipho Chaine, Brandon Peterson. Defenders (11): Khuliso Mudau, Olwethu Makhanya, Bradley Cross, Thabiso Monyane, Thabang Matuludi, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Aubrey Modiba, Khulumani Ndamane, Ime Okon, Samukele Kabini, Mbekezeli Mbokazi. Midfielders (6): Teboho Mokoena, Jayden Adams, Brooklyn Poggenpoel, Lebohang Maboe, Thalente Mbatha, Sphephelo Sithole. Forwards (11): Oswin Appollis, Tshepang Moremi, Evidence Makgopa, Lyle Foster (Burnley), Iqraam Rayners, Relebohile Mofokeng, Themba Zwane, Patrick Maswanganyi, Kamogelo Sebelebele, Thapelo Morena, Thapelo Maseko.
Sundowns and Pirates dominate
Nine players come from Mamelodi Sundowns and nine from Orlando Pirates. Sundowns continue to set the domestic standard and remain in continental contention, and Pirates have had one of their strongest seasons in years across multiple competitions. Between them they account for more than half the preliminary list, a reflection of where the domestic talent base sits in 2026.
Foster, Williams, Mokoena lead the spine
Ronwen Williams is captain and the senior goalkeeper. Teboho Mokoena anchors the midfield. Lyle Foster, the Burnley striker, is the one regularly minutes Premier League name in the attack and is expected to start at centre-forward. The Belgian coach has stayed loyal to the spine that brought South Africa back into the World Cup conversation rather than pivoting to new names for the global stage.
Mofokeng and Appollis the young talking points
Relebohile Mofokeng is the name generating excitement. The Pirates attacker has had one of the fastest rises in South African football this season and travels into the preliminary group with the freedom of a player who has nothing to lose. Fellow Pirates attacker Oswin Appollis joins him after a strong campaign.
Group A and the schedule
Bafana open against co-hosts Mexico in Mexico City on June 11, the tournament opener. They then travel to Atlanta to face Czechia on June 18 before closing the group against South Korea at Estadio BBVA in Monterrey on June 24. The bracket reads as an open second-place chase, with Mexico as the seeded co-host favourite, Korea on a young-team rebuild, and Czechia in transition under Miroslav Koubek.
What comes next
The preliminary 32 will be cut to 26 before the June 2 FIFA deadline. Broos has signalled he will prioritise the players he has worked with through qualifying, so the cuts are likely to fall among the marginal younger names rather than the spine. We will update /teams/rsa/ when the final 26 lands.
Reporting: SAFA / Cape {town} Etc, May 25, 2026.