2026 World Cup draw: Time and where to watch as Bafana Bafana learn their fate

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2026 World Cup draw: Time and where to watch as Bafana Bafana learn their fate
Image - SAFA

Bafana Bafana are set to learn their fate as the 2026 World Cup draw is conducted in the United States on Friday.

South Africa will be among the 48 teams playing in the expanded 2026 tournament in the United States of America, Canada and Mexico and will be praying for a kind draw when it is finally conducted at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

During the draw, South Africa will be among the 42 countries that have already secured their tickets with six more slots set to be determined during the playoffs in March 2026.

2026 World Cup pots

World Cup pots

Bafana Bafana are among 12 teams in Pot 3 which also has African rivals Egypt, Algeria, Ivory Coast and Tunisia, as well as Qatar, Panama, Norway, Scotland, Paraguay, Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia.

That means they will not draw any of those teams in their group but will have to get two sides from Pot 1 and Pot 2 as well as another one from Pot 4.

Pot 1 includes the three host nations; USA, Canada and Mexico as well as the world’s top ranked countries being Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

Pot 2 has Croatia, Morocco, Switzerland, Colombia, Uruguay, Japan, Senegal, Iran, South Korea, Ecuador, Austria and Australia while Pot 4 has Ghana, New Zealand, Jordan, Cape Verde, Curacao, and Haiti, who will be joined by the six sides that will come from the playoffs.

Bafana Bafana to avoid African rivals

Bafana Bafana

With no team from the same confederation, apart from Europe, being pooled in the same group, South Africa will not be drawn with either Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Senegal, Ghana and Cape Verde.

SA delegation in Washington for World Cup draw

Hugo broos and Danny Jordaan
Image – Safa

Coach Hugo Broos will be among those attending the draw in Washington and the delegation also includes SAFA president Danny Jordaan, Bafana Bafana team manager Vincent Tseka as well as SAFA officials Errol Madlala (commercial and marketing manager), Veronica Mokoena (travel and procurement manager) and Mninawa Ntloko (communications manager).

Time and where to watch 2026 World Cup draw

South African viewers can watch the event on SuperSport TV from 18:00 CAT while global audiences can stream it on FIFA.com or via FIFA TV on YouTube.

<!-- Author Start -->Joel Oliver<!-- Author End -->

Joel Oliver

Author

Joel Oliver is a seasoned multimedia sports journalist with a rich background in covering diverse football stories and events in South Africa and beyond.
His extensive coverage spans subjects touching on the PSL, with a focus on the Big Three (Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs & Mamelodi Sundowns), Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana.

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