iDiski TV analyst Junior Khanye has named the players he would have liked to see in the Bafana Bafana squad headed to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
Bafana start their tournament in Group A against Mexico in Mexico City on the opening day of the tournament on 11 June, then face Czech Republic on 18 June in Atlanta and close the group stages against South Korea on 25 June in Guadalupe.
Head coach Hugo Broos announced his final 26-man squad last week without the quartered of Grant Kekana, Brandon Petersen, Thembinkosi Lorch and Patrick ‘Tito’ Maswanganyi. Goalkeeper Petersen and Maswanganyi were in the preliminary squad while Kekana and Lorch weren’t considered in the 32-man provisional team.
The former Kaizer Chiefs winger believes the players have done enough in the past season to get a nod from Broos and the team can benefit from their presence.
“The World Cup squad announced by Hugo Broos is missing a few players I would have loved to see,” said Khanye on iDiski TV.
“Grant Kekana has played well for Mamelodi Sundowns. He is an African Champion. I was surprised not to see him there as an experienced player. Brandon Petersen, although I’m not a big fan, but he has done well for Kaizer Chiefs in big matches against Sundowns and Pirates. He stood out for Chiefs. He would have been my third choice over Ricardo Goss, who has dropped form.
“Whatever Thembinkosi Lorch has done in the past, he has served his sentence; he should have been recalled back by now. He is experienced. Tito Maswanganyi is another name I would have loved to see in the squad as well.”
As far as the team’s readiness for the global showpiece is concerned, Khanye doesn’t think Bafana are prepared.
“Are Bafana Bafana ready for the World Cup? Judging by the friendly games against Panama and Nicaragua, I don’t think we are ready for the World Cup,” added the former South African junior international.
“Our performance doesn’t suggest we are. Our only hopes are the Pirates players who won the treble at home and the Sundowns players who won the CAF Champions League. We will rely heavily on those players.”
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