FIFA World Cup 2026: Bafana Hit by Setback as Man Utd Prospect Drifts Towards England

South Africa has been dealt a significant blow in its potential long-term goalkeeping plans, as 19-year-old Manchester United prospect Elyh Harrison has accepted his first call-up to the England Under-21 national team.

The highly-rated shot-stopper, who is currently on a season-long loan at Shrewsbury Town, is eligible to represent Bafana Bafana through his parents. 

However, this latest move signals a firm step towards committing his international future to the Three Lions, making a switch to South Africa for the 2026 World Cup increasingly unlikely.

Harrison was drafted into the U21 squad by head coach Lee Carsley as an injury replacement for James Beadle ahead of the November qualifiers against the Republic of Ireland and Slovakia. 

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The call-up sees him join a squad brimming with top-tier talent, including Jude Bellingham’s brother Jobe, Chelsea’s Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, and Arsenal prodigy Ethan Nwaneri.

Harrison has been firmly embedded in the English Football Association’s pipeline for years, having already earned caps for the England U18, U19, and U20 sides.

This promotion to the U21s is the final and most critical step before the senior team. Players at this level are considered the immediate successors to the senior squad as first reported by Soccer Laduma.

By accepting the call-up, Harrison is signalling his desire to compete for a future with England, effectively placing himself in a queue behind the likes of Jordan Pickford and Aaron Ramsdale, rather than opting for a potentially faster route to senior international football with Bafana Bafana.

A more immediate crisis in Harrison's club career presents an even greater obstacle to any 2026 World Cup ambitions—for either nation.

His loan move to League Two side Shrewsbury Town, intended to provide him with vital senior-level experience, has soured. 

After starting the season, Harrison has been relegated to the bench, finding himself behind Will Brook in the pecking order.

The 19-year-old has played just eight games in all competitions for the club, with his last appearance coming nearly two months ago against Harrogate Town on September 20th. 

According to United In Focus, Manchester United officials have held talks regarding Harrison's future. The club is said to be weighing its options, which include recalling the player in January to send him on a new loan to a club that will guarantee him minutes, or, more ambitiously, to give him a chance to challenge Altay Bayindir for the second-choice spot at Old Trafford.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is less than two years away and for Harrison to be a realistic option for Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos, he would need to not only file a one-time switch of allegiance with FIFA but also be playing regular, high-level first-team football.

Currently, he is achieving neither. He is moving further into the England setup, not away from it, and he is not playing at all, even in England's fourth tier.

The combination of his loyalty to the English FA's development pathway and his stalled club career makes the prospect of him wearing the Bafana Bafana jersey in North America in 2026 exceptionally remote.