Bafana Bafana vs Panama: Dates and venues confirmed for pre-World Cup friendlies

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Bafana Bafana vs Panama: Dates and venues confirmed for pre-World Cup friendlies
Image - SAFA

The South African Football Association (SAFA) has confirmed the dates and venues for Bafana Bafana’s upcoming international friendly matches against Panama, scheduled for late March.

The national team will first take on the Central American side at Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday, 27 March. The two teams will meet again for a second clash at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on Tuesday, 31 March.

These fixtures mark a crucial part of head coach Hugo Boros’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The friendlies will be the team’s first outing since their elimination by Cameroon in the Round of 16 at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Bafana Bafana players at AFCON 2025. Photo Imago

The match in Durban will be Bafana Bafana’s first return to the city since a goalless draw against Zimbabwe in a World Cup qualifier at the same venue in October 2025. Despite that stalemate, the team secured their qualification in the following match with a decisive 3-0 victory over Rwanda at Mbombela Stadium.

SAFA provide key details for Bafana vs Panama

In a statement released on Wednesday, SAFA detailed the importance of the upcoming games.

Bafana Bafana 4
Image – SAFA

“Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium and DHL Cape Town Stadium will host Bafana Bafana’s two international friendly matches against Panama next month,” the statement confirmed. “The matches form a critical component of head coach Hugo Broos’ build-up programme ahead of the global tournament.”

“Bafana Bafana return to Durban for the first time since they were held to a goalless draw by Zimbabwe in a tense 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier… The South Africans threw everything they had at the Zimbabweans, but luck was not on their side… They picked themselves up and wrapped up qualification after they beat Rwanda 3-0 in an exhilarating match in Mbombela,” the statement further said.

Tickets for the matches against Panama will be available from Thursday, 26 February 2026. Prices are set at R80 for adults and R50 for children under 12.

<!-- 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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