Tshegofatso Mabasa: Bafana Bafana Boss Hugo Broos Explains Why He Snubbed Pirates Striker

• Tshegofatso Mabasa was not named in the latest South Africa squad
• The Orlando Pirates star finished the 2023/23 PSL season as the top scorer
• Bafana Bafana boss, Hugo Broos, has explained why the striker was absent

South Africa coach, Hugo Broos, has announced his final 23-man squad for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers next month.

The Belgian tactician cut 13 players from his preliminary squad and explained why Tshegofatso Mabasa, the DStv Premiership's top scorer in the 2023/24 season, was missing.

Mabasa was absent from the preliminary squad, a decision that resulted in a backlash from fans.

Bafana Bafana will face Nigeria on June 7 and then host Zimbabwe on June 11 at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein.

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Broos' team is coming off a phenomenal 2023 Africa Cup of Nations campaign, where they finished third behind winners Ivoryu Caost and runners-up Nigeria, per BBC.

Mabasa was expected to be one of the new faces added to the team that played in Ivory Coast. However, the Belgian decided not to select him. He said he had to choose between the Orlando Pirates striker and Stelenbosch striker, Iqraam Rayners.

“I don’t think, for me, that I have to take him now because I have also Iqraam. Iqraam scored also 15 goals, it’s one goal difference so I give the confidence to Iqraam right now," he said via Far Post.

“It was a decision – him or Mabasa. But Iqraam did very well in the game against Algeria and I gave him the confidence now."

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Broos also recalled when he gave Mabasa a chance on the national team.

“We had a bad experience with Mabasa two years ago. I had to change him after 35 minutes, and everybody said it was a scandal,” Broos explained. He’s not the same player anymore, but you see what happened between January and the last game he played for Bafana two years ago. That was not good...We will follow Mabasa next season; let’s hope he continues what he did."

The 1996 AFCON champions are second in Group C behind Rwanda with three points from two matches.

Mabasa reactys to Bafana Bafana snub

Sports Brief earlier reported on Mabasa responding to his omission from the latest South Africa squad.

The 27-year-old centre-forward was not angry with Broos' decision to snub him, saying there's still time for him to play for his country.