Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos has explained that right-back come midfielder Thapelo Morena did not make the final 2026 FIFA World Cup squad is because of injury.
Morena, 32, was in Broos’ 32-man provisional team for the global event to be co-hosted by the USA, Mexico – who Bafana open their tournament with – and Canada next month.
However, he had been nursing an injury that also made him miss his club’s last four games of the season, including the two legged CAF Champions League final against ASFAR.
Broos explained that he waited on the national team doctor’s final assessment of the player on the day of the squad announcement and it was confirmed hours before the farewell dinner at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guest House on Wednesday that he will not be able get fit in time.
“As I said we took the decision yesterday afternoon at 4 o’clock,” said Broos.
“We knew that Thapelo was injured but we didn’t know everything that could have made us decide that he went with us to Mexico.
“We thought we had to drop him so that’s why yesterday we had another scan to make, and we had to wait for the result.
“So it was a little bit stressing, 1 o’clock 2 o’clock in the afternoon, 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Also the doctor was stressed because yes, we wanted to have the result first before we decided.
“So I think at 3:30 or something the doctor called me in my room and said, “Coach, can we see each other?’. So we were with the doctor, with Helman [Mkhalele] and with the physical coach. The doctor explained to us the medical report and we didn’t see an opportunity to take the Thapelo with us.
“Thapelo should be in the next two weeks, I think, not able to train with the national team, with the group. And if we consider that, I don’t think that it was good to take him with us. Certainly, it should not be honest to watch the other players to take Thapelo. We should have dropped someone else for that and not be sure that Thapelo should be ready for the second game.”
‘It was an emotional moment for us both’
The coach also shared at a press conference ahead of the team’s final international friendly at home against Nicaragua that he spoke to the Mamelodi Sundowns man and it was emotional for both of them.
“So that’s made us decide that we don’t take Thapelo with us and I talked to him yesterday after we came back from the President’s guest house after announcing the team. And it was an emotional moment also for me because I know that Thapelo is someone who can change a game,” he added.
“He did it already in the past for us, so he could be a very important player for us, not only when he starts the game, but also when he was on the bench.
“And also for me, it was a hard decision to make, but as I said already in the past, it’s not my heart that decides, it’s always my brain. And that’s certainly the case for Thapelo why we took the decision yesterday.”
