Hugo Broos Set to Axe 13 Players From South Africa’s Squad to Face Nigeria

• Hugo Broos will name South Africa's final squad for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers
• Initially, he unveiled a 36-man preliminary squad for the upcoming fixtures in June
• Bafana Bafana face a tough test as they prepare to take on Nigeria and Zimbabwe

South Africa head coach, Hugo Broos, will unveil his final squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria and Zimbabwe on Thursday, May 30.

The Belgian tactician had named superstars like Ronwen Williams, Themba Zwane, Percy Tau, and Teboho Mokoena in his 36-man preliminary squad for the games next month.

According to Complete Sports, Broos will announce the final 23-man squad for the qualifiers, axing 13 players from his initial list as Bafana Bafana finalize preparations for both crucial games.

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South Africa will be guests of the Super Eagles at the Godswill International Stadium in Uyo on June 7, before hosting Zimbabwe at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Tuesday, June 11.

Broos will hope to exert revenge on Nigeria after South Africa lost out to the Super Eagles in the semi-finals of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations earlier in the year.

Mabasa reacts to being snubbed

Meanwhile, Orlando Pirates striker, Tshegofatso Mabasa, is not feeling too disappointed about missing out on South Africa’s squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria and Zimbabwe, GOAL reports.

The DStv Premier League Golden Boot winner was snubbed by Broos when naming his team but he is confident his time with the national team will come soon.

Mabasa ended the league season in South Africa with 16 goals for Orlando Pirates to emerge as the top scorer in the DStv Premier League and will hope to crown his successful season by winning the Nedbank Cup.

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Broos fires warning to Super Eagles

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Broos claims South Africa’s performance at the 2023 AFCON and their recent friendly games against Andorra and Algeria show they are not afraid of any team.

The Belgian coach sent this note of warning to the Super Eagles ahead of their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers set for the Godswill International Stadium in Uyo next month.

South Africa have failed to qualify for football’s biggest international competition since hosting the tournament in 2010 and the Belgian coach is hoping to end that barren spell.