Siyabonga Ngezana (28) has spoken to South African journalists, revealing that FCSB coach Lucian Filip (35) made a mistake when he declared that Ngezana would not be called up for the World Cup. Ngezana asserts that South Africa's coach, Hugo Broos (74), has not yet finalized the team for the tournament in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.

Ngezana's Reduced Playing Time

Earlier this year, it was widely speculated that Ngezana might miss the World Cup due to limited playing time at FCSB. Up until his start in the playoff match against FC Hermannstadt on May 18, Ngezana had only played 13 minutes between February and May, primarily in a tight 3-2 win against Farul on April 20.

The Coach's Misstep

Influenced by these details, during a press conference ahead of the FCSB match against FC Hermannstadt, Lucian Filip stated, “He is disappointed, but that's life. Football doesn't end here. I hope he will be present at the next World Cup.”

This led South African fans to believe that FCSB had already been informed by their federation that Ngezana would not be on the final list. However, Ngezana clarified that this was a miscommunication, as the team hadn't received the correct information. Hugo Broos had not yet finalized the squad.

If not for the medical issues he faced earlier this year, Ngezana would have had a strong chance of being called up for the World Cup. He was a key player in South Africa's African qualifiers and also played in all four AFCON matches in December 2025 before sustaining an injury. Ngezana's recent absence has impacted his chances, and it remains to be seen what decision coach Broos will make.

According to Transfermarkt, Ngezana has a market value of 2.6 million euros.