South African icon Benni McCarthy has openly disagreed with Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos’ final 2026 World Cup squad selection, particularly slamming the controversial snub of Kaizer Chiefs goalkeeper Brandon Petersen.
The Bafana legend argued that Petersen’s phenomenal season, where he was a game-changer for his team, more than earned him a spot on the plane, and that he would have chosen differently if in Broos’ position.
McCarthy also questioned the exclusion of Gift Links, who won the Danish league title in one of Europe’s toughest competitions, urging the coach to reward merit over loyalty to the qualifying campaign players despite acknowledging Broos’ difficult balancing act.
“There’s a couple of names that I would have [selected]..If I was in the position, I think I would have gone a different route especially with the Brandon Petersen case,” the Kenya head coach told Sporty TV.
“I think with the season that Kaizer Chiefs had, he’s really been phenomenal, he’s been really an outstanding performer. “When you perform like that, throughout the season, every time you step in between those goals, he’s a different maker for his team, then yeah, you deserve to be on that plane. I really feel for him for missing out.
“And then the exclusion of somebody that, I don’t know what’s the situation like there, Gift Links, you win the league in Denmark,” he added. “That’s one of the toughest leagues, it’s one of the European leagues. And for the first time other than myself, that’s won a league in a European country, he’s gone and done it,” he continued.
“Does it even come close to mentioning, maybe coach’s preference. But man at the end of the day, you put your pride and ego a little bit aside and reward people on merit. “I feel that it was a hard one but other than that he has used the players he has selected throughout the campaign, so I understand the sense of loyalty to the players – who were sacrificing and being there for the national team, going into difficult places.
“And now all of a sudden because a few players have had excellent season, you’ve got to sacrifice players that have helped you get [to the World Cup]. Coach knows what he’s done and I’m no one to question that.”
