Orlando Pirates striker Tshegofatso Mabasa took it like a man as Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos continues to overlook him in the national team squad. 

The Belgian tactician announced his final squad on Thursday midday for the 2026 FIFA World Cup match qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin later this month. 

Mabasa was included in the preliminary squad but didn’t make it to the final squad as Broos called Iqraam Rayners, Percy Tau and Lyle Foster to be the strikers of the national team. 

This is despite the former Bloemfontein Celtic talisman having scored 10 goals in all competitions for the Buccaneers this season. 

“I’m just going to keep on knocking on the door, that’s what I can say because I have nothing to say about that,” Mabasa said when he was asked how he feels for not making it to the final squad of Bafana. 

“It’s his [Hugo Broos] decision, and at the end of the day all we need to do as players is to keep on working hard.” 

Mabasa was speaking as his team, Pirates, is set to face Mamelodi Sundowns at FNB Stadium in the Betway Premiership this Sunday. 

The Brazilians are lying in the first place with 58 points while Pirates are second in the table with 40 points. However, José Riveiro’s side still have four games to play as they’ve played only 18 games, while Sundowns have played 22 games.

The 28-year-old was asked whether they can lose this game, their hope of winning the league will be over or not. 

“I don’t think our league title hope can end if we lose against Sundowns again,” the former Moroka Swallows striker added. 

“I think we still have a lot of games to play, and we still have a lot of points to fight for. I think anything is possible in football, but we know that on Sunday we have to go out there to fight and hopefully get all three points which will take us in the right direction if we want to win this league.” 

When these two sides met in the first round, the Buccaneers were hammered 4-1 at Loftus Versfeld Stadium last month.