It was the first time in the history of South African football since 1998 that Bafana Bafana played in the group stage of the World Cup and finished it without a Kaizer Chiefs player on the field.
Although the competition between Mexico, Canada and the United States of America (USA) will always be remembered as a success since Bafana advanced to the playoffs for the first time in history, it is difficult to ignore the bad record of Chiefs.
Bradley Cross is the only Chiefs player who went with Bafana in the World Cup which has become history as it was kicked out by Canada last weekend in Los Angeles, USA.
It was already a matter of course that Cross will be the only one to represent this group which is counted among the hundreds in Africa, and its strong goalkeeper, Bradon Petersen, was left out of the coach’s squad, Hugo Broos.
In previous years, Chiefs have always had players in the Bafana squad for the World Cup. Bafana was playing for the fourth time in this tournament. It premiered in 1998, 2002, 2010 and 2026.
In 1998 in France, Chiefs were represented by Doctor Khumalo and Brian Baloyi in Bafana. Although Baloyi did not stop a single game, Khumalo got a chance when Bafana faced Saudi Arabia in the last game of the group stage.
In the 2002 tournament held in South Korea and Japan, Chiefs sent their former captain Cyril Nzama and Jabu Mahlangu who was young. Nzama played the entire tournament, while Mahlangu, who was still called Pule, got one game in which he entered from the bench.
In 2010, when South Africa became the first African country to host the World Cup, the Chiefs were represented by Itumeleng Khune who played in the first and was sent off in the second as Bafana lost to Uruguay. Another is Siphiwe “Shabba” Tshabalala who is world famous because of the first goal of the tournament he scored against Mexico.
He will not be left out with Reneilwe “Yeye” Letsholonyane who was one of the Chiefs players who stood out in this tournament.
The omission of Cross from Broos’ Bafana, has written a bad history for Chiefs since it was the first time that until the end of the World Cup their player did not touch the ball.