Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos did not spring any major surprises as he announced his final squad for the 2026 World Cup in Pretoria on Wednesday night.The squad was disclosed in a ceremony at Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guest House, part of the Union Buildings complex in Pretoria, where President Cyril Ramaphosa greeted the players on stage with Broos.Olwethu Makhanya, the 22-year-old former Stellenbosch FC centreback who has impressed in the South African junior team ranks and is now on the books of Philadelphia Union in the US’s Major League Soccer, got the nod.Sundowns striker Iqraam Rayners, the Betway Premiership’s second-top scorer, whose absence at the last Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) and in matches this year raised eyebrows, made the cut. So did veteran Downs playmaker Themba Zwane, 36.Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Brandon Peterson, defender Thabiso Monyane and midfielder Lebohang Maboe were all among players left out from the 32-player preliminary squad named last week.Downs’ Thapelo Morena, battling an injury; Durban City midfielder Brooklyn Poggenpoel, and Pirates forward Patrick Maswanganyi were the other players who did not make the cut.There were no surprise omissions from the preliminary squad as Broos put out his combination for Bafana’s first World Cup since hosting the tournament in 2010 and first as qualifiers since 2002.Goalkeeper and captain Ronwen Williams, midfield dynamo Teboho Mokoena right-back Khuliso Mudau, all of Mamelodi Sundowns; and former Orlando Pirates, now Chicago Fire centreback prodigy Mbekezeli Mbokazi are likely to be the mainstays of the team in North America.Another interesting inclusion was of Chiefs left-back Bradley Cross.Apart from the three goalkeepers, the squad contains 11 defenders, four midfielders and eight strikers.Wednesday night’s announcement came two days before Bafana meet Nicaragua in a World Cup warm-up at Orlando Stadium on Friday (6pm).The deadline to submit the final squad to Fifa is June 1. Fifa allows final squads for the 2026 World Cup of between 23 and 26 players.The South African squad departs for Mexico on Sunday.Bafana play the opening game of the 2026 World Cup against co-hosts Mexico at the Azteca in Mexico City on June 11.Their remaining Group A games are against Czechia (Czech Republic) in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 18 and South Korea in Guadalupe, Mexico, on June 24, or the early hours (3am) of June 25 South Africa time.South Africa are competing in their first World Cup since hosting the 2010 edition and first as qualifiers since Japan and South Korea in 2002. They have never progressed past the group stage.Broos has overseen a revival of Bafana that culminated in their best Afcon finish in 24 years in Ivory Coast in 2024 of third place. The South Africans had a less convincing campaign in Morocco in January and February, exiting at the hands of Cameroon in the last 16.South Africa are the lowest-ranked team in Group A but will hope the emergence of some talented young stars such as 20-year-old Mbokazi can see the national team punch above their weight in North America.The top two teams from 12 groups and eight best runners-up progress to the last-32 of Fifa’s first 48-team World Cup.Bafana have played two World Cup warm-up matches this year, both against Panama in March, drawing 1-1 in Durban and losing 2-1 in Cape Town.Bafana Bafana final 2026 World Cup squad Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns)Ricardo Goss (Siwelele FC)Sipho Chaine (Orlando Pirates)Defenders:Khuliso Mudau (Mamelodi Sundowns)Nkosinathi Sibisi (Orlando Pirates)Ime Okon (Hannover 96, Germany)Khulumani Ndamane (Mamelodi Sundowns)Aubrey Modiba (Mamelodi Sundowns)Samukele Kabini (Molde FK, Norway)Thabang Matuludi (Polokwane City)Olwethu Makhanya (Philadelphia Union, US)Kamogelo Sebelebele (Orlando Pirates)Bradley Cross (Kaizer Chiefs)Mbekezeli Mbokazi (Chicago Fire, US)Midfielders: Teboho Mokoena (Mamelodi Sundowns)Thalente Mbatha (Orlando Pirates)Sphephelo Sithole (CD Tondela, Portugal)Jayden Adams (Mamelodi Sundowns)Forwards:Oswin Appollis (Orlando Pirates)Iqraam Rayners (Mamelodi Sundowns)Tshepang Moremi (Orlando Pirates)Relebohile Mofokeng (Orlando Pirates)Evidence Makgopa (Orlando Pirates)Themba Zwane (Mamelodi Sundowns)Lyle Foster (Burnley, England)Thapelo Maseko (Ael Limassol, Cyprus)TimesLIVE