Broos faces tough call on Bafana’s final World Cup goalkeeping trio

The deadline for all 48 teams participating at the 2026 Fifa World Cup to submit their final squad list is 2 June. Although most technical teams already have a clear idea of their respective squads, there still remains room for a handful of players to convince coaches that they should be picked for the quadrennial soccer spectacle.

From a South African perspective, who will be playing in their first World Cup since participating as hosts in the 2010 edition of the quadrennial soccer spectacle, one of the positions that is highly contested is that of goalkeeper.

Broos has not been shy to admit that South Africa will be the underdogs in Group A, where they are alongside tournament co-hosts Mexico, as well as South Korea and Czechia. But Broos also stressed that the experience was exactly what South African soccer needed after years of regression before the Belgian tactician was appointed in 2021.

“It will be a very good experience for our team. It’s something we need, to play against such teams. We will learn a lot and then we will see. In football, anything is possible. We will fight, like we’ve done in recent years,” Broos said.

With the tough challenges that await the team in North America, one position in particular will be vital — goalkeeping. Before SA’s double header of friendly matches against Panama in March, which ended in a 2-1 defeat and a 1-1 stalemate for the South Africans, Broos spoke candidly about his options in that key role.

Daily Maverick dissects the chances of five strong contenders that Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos is likely to pick from for that crucial position. Only three places can be filled by glovesmen in the final selection of each team.

Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns)

Despite his abilities coming under public scrutiny after conceding seven goals in Mamelodi Sundowns’ final two league matches of the 2025/26 season, Williams is Bafana Bafana’s undisputed No 1 in goal. He was instrumental in helping SA reach this stage of the global soccer extravaganza for the first time in almost two decades.

The 34-year-old kept four clean sheets in SA’s 10-match qualification journey for the World Cup. Actually, it was technically five. However, he lost the fifth clean sheet due to Bafana Bafana being retrospectively sanctioned by Fifa for fielding Teboho Mokoena while he was suspended during a 2-0 match against Lesotho.

Despite the criticism Williams has faced in recent weeks, his significance in Broos’ team transcends his performances on the field. Williams is the team’s captain. He is also someone on whom Broos has relied heavily since the Belgian coach arrived in SA five years ago. Hence he is one of the first names on the Bafana Bafana team sheet.

Sipho Chaine (Orlando Pirates)

Worryingly for Orlando Pirates shotstopper Chaine, he was dropped from the national team in March 2026 when Bafana Bafana played against Panama in preparation for the World Cup.

The 29-year-old has responded emphatically and recently broke the Premier Soccer League (PSL) record for the most clean sheets in a single season, with 19 clean sheets in 28 appearances for the Sea Robbers to date. Coincidentally, the previous holder of this milestone was Williams.

That said, Chaine is seemingly not guaranteed a place at the World Cup, based on Broos’ comments when he announced his team for the Panama friendlies a couple of months ago.

“Everybody has to be worried when they don’t perform. I’m not saying Sipho is not performing. But everybody has to be worried. This is not charity. It’s something that is very serious,” Broos said.

If Chaine were to be excluded from the final squad heading to the World Cup, it would not be due to his on-field performances. With Broos’ emphasis on team culture and discipline beyond the field, Chaine missing out would probably be linked to off-field behaviour.

Ricardo Goss (Siwelele)

Goss is one of the players who bring the good vibes within the SA team. The extroverted goalkeeper is often seen leading Bafana Bafana’s singing before and after matches.

Growing up, Goss drew inspiration from former Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Brian “Spiderman” Baloyi. This has been evident in Siwele’s debut Premiership campaign as they are well clear of relegation due to Goss’ agility and flexibility.

To date, he has kept 13 clean sheets in 27 Premiership outings. However, conceding a mammoth seven goals during a recent 7-4 match to his parent club Sundowns would have dented his ego. Nevertheless, he is a player who is highly favoured by Broos.

“If you talk about Bafana Bafana DNA, that’s an example of it. He has a good mentality. He’s someone who is always working during training. If you need him, he’s there. He is a good guy for the rest of the team, which is very important,” Broos said.

Brandon Petersen (Kaizer Chiefs)

While Williams, Chaine and Goss have been Broos’ preferred choices since his arrival, someone such as Petersen has gradually knocked on the door for national team inclusion over the past couple years. In 2025/26, Petersen’s knocking has been insistent and loud.

In the March friendlies versus Panama, Broos said the only reason he had not called up the Amakhosi goalminder was due to an injury that ruled him out at that exact international break.

With 14 clean sheets in 23 league appearances for Chiefs, Petersen has been instrumental in helping Chiefs climb from the lowly ninth place they finished in the league during the 2024/25 Premiership season, to the third spot they possess in the current campaign.

Renaldo Leaner (Sekhukhune United)

Leaner was roped in for the dropped Chaine in Bafana Bafana’s most recent matches. Although he has been benched for Sekhukhune’s recent outings and was subbed off in his last appearance for the club, Leaner remains a contender for a World Cup place. His nine clean sheets in 16 league games are a formidable return.

From the aforementioned competition, Leaner is lowest on the pecking order owing to those recent events. But if injury were to rule out any of his rivals from selection, he would be a worthy choice. DM