Aubrey Modiba could well feature at left-back for South Africa in their opening World Cup game against Mexico on Thursday despite pulling a hamstring in last month’s African Champions League final.
Modiba came through his first full training session at South Africa’s team base in Pachuca, and there are hopes he will be fit enough to play at the Azteca stadium when the tournament kicks off (live on SuperSport).
Modiba was hurt after scoring a superb free-kick for Mamelodi Sundowns in their home leg against Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces, who they went on to beat on aggregate without the left-back in the second leg.
Kaizer Chiefs’ Bradley Cross was brought into the Bafana Bafana squad for the World Cup as cover in case Modiba was not fit in time.
Mabajabule abantu 🕺
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) June 9, 2026
The Bafana Bafana boys are bringing the vibes to the World Cup.#EverythingCanWait #DStvFIFAWorldCup2026 pic.twitter.com/xslhzUosDb
Bafana take on Mexico in the opening match of the tournament in Mexico City on Thursday, before further Group A clashes against the Czech Republic in Atlanta (June 18) and South Korea in Monterrey (June 24).
Modiba’s vast experience makes him a likely starter against Mexico if the medical staff are satisfied he can last the 90 minutes.
The 30-year-old has made 47 appearances for Bafana Bafana since his debut in the COSAFA Cup in June 2016.
Months later, he was part of the South African team that competed at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.
By contrast, his competitors for a starting place against Mexico are inexperienced at this level.
The 22-year-old Samukele Kabini plays for Molde in Norway and has just six caps, while Cross has one, making his debut against Nicaragua last month.
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