Bafana Bafana defender returns to fitness but is it too late for the 2026 World Cup?

The ex Kaizer Chiefs player secured his spot as the main central defensive colleague for Mbekezeli Mbokazi, yet a knee issue has kept him out since late January.

He skipped the pair of March friendlies against Panama, and at that point coach Broos questioned if he could recover soon enough for the World Cup or accumulate the necessary playing time to demonstrate his form.

Nevertheless, he featured as a substitute on Monday for his Romanian outfit Steaua Bucharest, who are aiming to secure a position in next years European club tournaments.

Ngezanas prior match for FCSB came during their 1-1 home stalemate with Turkish heavyweights Fenerbahçe near the close of January.

During that Monday fixture, he joined the action for the closing 12 minutes in a 3-2 triumph on the road versus Farul Constantia.

This victory sustains FCBs position at the summit of the Romanian leagues relegation standings, keeping them on track for a likely berth in the forthcoming seasons Europa Conference League.

Upon completion of the 30 fixture regular season schedule, the leagues leading six teams proceed to playoffs to determine the champions.

FCSB placed seventh overall, thereby bypassing the title contention playoffs, but they currently lead the relegation playoff group, and a first place finish there would qualify them for an additional playoff to earn a European club spot next year.

FCSB captured the prior two Romanian league titles, with Ngezana appearing consistently across both campaigns, and they competed in the Champions League at the start of this term before transitioning to the Europa League, although the 2025/26 term has turned out to be a letdown for Ngezana and his colleagues.