Reneilwe ‘Yeye’ Letsholonyane has thrown his weight behind Hugo Broos’ 2026 FIFA World Cup midfield selection, downplaying panic following Bafana Bafana’s nightmare start to the global showpiece on Thursday.
Broos named four central midfielders in his final 26-man Bafana Bafana squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup: Teboho Mokoena and Jayden Adams of Mamelodi Sundowns, Thalente Mbatha from Orlando Pirates, and Sphephelo Sithole, who plies his trade in Portugal at CD Tondela.
In truth, Bafana Bafana’s midfield has emerged as a worrisome part of the squad, in a team that consists of 11 defenders and eight forward-minded players.
The Mamelodi Sundowns duo of Mokoena and Adams know each other’s game well, while Sphephelo Sithole of Tondela is capable of playing a defensive role. Mbatha has also been exceptional at club level.
Against Mexico, Broos opted for a compact, defensive midfield of Adams, Mokoena and Sithole. Mbatha was introduced in the second half as Bafana Bafana lost 2-0. However, that set-up did not produce anything in what turned out to be a nightmarish World Cup opener for Bafana Bafana.
For Sithole, the match proved even more devastating. His costly mistake in the opening stages gifted Mexico the breakthrough for the first goal before the 27-year-old was shown a red card shortly after the halftime break. Themba Zwane was also sent off in the same match, despite only coming on as a second-half substitute.
How Broos will line up his team for their next match against South Korea on 25 June at Estadio Monterrey in Guadalupe remains to be seen, but Letsholonyane is backing players who already have telepathy.
‘BEST WE HAVE GOT’ – RENEILWE ‘YEYE’ LETSHOLONYANE WEIGHS IN
Speaking to FARPost in an interview, ‘Yeye’ backed Broos’ choice of midfielders, saying they are the best Bafana Bafana can get at the moment.
“I think the coach chose the best team that we can have in the country at the moment. They are all goal-scoring midfielders. A lot, if not most, of the players have been in the set-up and understand how the coach and his technical team want to do things. So we should rally behind the team,” said Letsholonyane.
“I’m sure any player who will be selected for any game will be ready to compete and execute the game plan for the day. Obviously, it would be easy to start with Teboho and Adams, but I think any of the midfielders selected will be good enough for the job.
While Mokoena, Adams and Mbatha ended the 2025/26 season on a high by winning the CAF Champions League and Betway Premiership titles respectively, Sithole saw his team being relegated from the top-tier Primeira Liga in Portugal.
However, he will have to shake off the blues of relegation and aid the South African cause at the global stage.
“Being in the squad means what he [Sithole] is doing is what the coach wants, what they have been working on in training,” Letsholonyane added.
RELATED STORY: Hugo Broos names 32-man preliminary Bafana Bafana World Cup squad