South Africa head coach, Hugo Broos made a powerful gesture ahead of Bafana Bafana’s departure for the 2026 FIFA World Cup by inviting players who missed out on the final squad to attend the team’s farewell event.

Broos revealed that trimming his preliminary squad down to the final 26-man list was one of the toughest decisions he had to make, especially because of the strong bond within the group.

Instead of distancing the players who were cut, the Belgian tactician chose to include them in the team gathering, insisting that the national team is built on unity and togetherness.

“I’m a coach who believes much in being a group and for me there is no player who is above the group,” Broos said.

'You will never regret it' - Semenyo's mother advocates for diaspora talent to represent Ghana

“Because one player can’t win a game, to win a game must be a group and a group is not just the eleven but like today, like the 36 players. So I wanted to keep that group together even in that moment.”

Broos officially named his final squad on Wednesday night, May 27, 2026, keeping the core of the side that helped South Africa qualify while also handing opportunities to two uncapped players.

Among those who missed out were Kaizer Chiefs trio Lebohang Maboe, Thabo Monyane and Brandon Petersen, alongside Mamelodi Sundowns defender Thapelo Morena.

Patrick Maswanganyi and Brooklyn Poggenpoel were also omitted after initially making the preliminary squad.

Watch the video below:

South Africa coach Hugo Broos did something powerful before Bafana Bafana travelled for the 2026 World Cup — he personally met the players he dropped from his squad at a public event. (See video below).

Broos' strategy is how we can reduce the bitterness, rumours and noise when… pic.twitter.com/LPD23Z2Zfp

— Ibrahim Sannie Daara (@SannieDaara) May 27, 2026