Bafana Bafana’s ‘Super Seven’ who could help them shine at the 2026 World Cup

South African football has been in the shadows of the international game since they hosted the World Cup in 2010, but now they will be in the spotlight, and desperate to make a strong impression.

Supporters of the team know what they are capable of, but the step up in quality at this tournament compared to what they are used to facing is enormous and their preparation has been far from ideal.

They will therefore rely on key players to give them a positive start, servants of the side who have largely carried the team in the last five years under coach Hugo Broos, mixed with some young talent.

Here are Bafana’s ‘Super Seven’, who will be crucial to any success they have at the tournament. 

Ronwen Williams

Position: Goalkeeper

Club: Mamelodi Sundowns

The captain of the team and the last line of defence, one thing that is certain is that Williams is likely to be a busy man. He has shown before at major finals that he can carry Bafana Bafana through, and he will have to be at his best again. But more than a great shot-stopper, he is also the leader in the team and one who organises the defence. He will join the likes of Hans Vonk, Andre Arendse and Itumeleng Khune as the first-choice keeper for Bafana at a World Cup.

Khuliso Mudau

Position: Right-back

Club: Mamelodi Sundowns

The right-back is now vastly experienced after his exploits with the national team and Mamelodi Sundowns in CAF Champions League football, and remains a key weapon for the team. He can attack as a wing-back, but is also a very intelligent defender and, against teams that use quick attackers with plenty of skill, he will need to keep his flank quiet. But he also has the ability to create and score goals and loves to get forward.

Mbekezeli Mbokazi

Position: Centre-back

Club: Chicago Fire, United States

Mbokazi has had such a meteoric rise in both club and international football that it is easy to forget he only really broke into the Orlando Pirates first team in March 2025. But once he did earn his place, he never let go of it and, within months, was elevated to the Bafana Bafana side, where he has also become a regular. Coach Hugo Broos suggested they had been looking for a player of his physicality and quality for some time. He is primarily a defender, but also has an excellent passing range and a rocket shot. His recent move to Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer has exposed him to different styles and, if he does have a solid World Cup, the 20-year-old’s value will only skyrocket.

Teboho Mokoena

Position: Midfielder

Club: Mamelodi Sundowns

The engine of the Bafana Bafana midfield, Mokoena is like a Rolls-Royce with his high work-rate from box to box and his importance as both an attacking and defensive threat in the side. He scores spectacular goals and is a threat from range, but can also break up the opposition’s play and be a physical presence in the centre of the park. He now has vast experience, having spent the better part of a decade in the national team, and is also a key player for Mamelodi Sundowns.

Relebohile Mofokeng

Position: Attacking midfielder

Club: Orlando Pirates

If he can stay fit, Themba Zwane could well get the nod as the starting ‘10’ in the team because of his experience, but do not discount the impact of Mofokeng when given the opportunity, either from kick-off or off the bench. Broos has already said he does not see the player as a winger, where he has spent most of his career, but rather as a creative force behind the striker, able to provide chances but also score goals. There has long been talk that Mofokeng should be playing overseas and this World Cup will be a chance to test that theory.

Oswin Appollis

Position: Winger

Club: Orlando Pirates

Appollis has emerged as Bafana’s most potent attacking weapon over the last 18 months, with no player managing more goals in that time. He has also provided several assists with his trickery on the ball and quality in the cross. He can beat a defender and has an end product in the final third that is missing from so many other players in the Premier Soccer League. He is still only 24, so this will be a big audition for him.

Lyle Foster

Position: Striker

Club: Burnley, England

Foster will almost certainly be the lead striker in the squad and be asked to play up front on his own, using his hold-up play to bring others into the game. It is a role he plays very well, even if at Burnley in England he is used more as a wide attacker. He is into double figures for goals for the national team and is usually a good finisher, having learnt a lot from his time in France, Portugal and Belgium before moving to England. He was a prodigious talent as a youngster and is now playing in arguably the best league in the world. This tournament is a chance for him to show he has gone to a new level.