Live — South Africa vs Nicaragua: Follow Bafana Bafana’s World Cup farewell at Orlando Stadium

Bafana Bafana are back at Orlando Stadium tonight for a send-off that means far more than the scoreline will suggest.

Follow South Africa’s Bafana Bafana vs Nicaragua live here:

This is South Africa’s final match on home soil before Hugo Broos and his squad fly to Mexico for the 2026 World Cup — the country’s first involvement in the tournament since they staged it back in 2010.

The crowd at the famous Soweto ground will bring the noise, the emotion and the expectation of a nation ready to believe again.

The opposition is Nicaragua, ranked 131st in the world and arriving in Johannesburg under new manager Juan Cruz Real, who takes charge for the very first time tonight. The visitors are without their captain Juan Barrera and several senior players through injury and club commitments, leaving a young, raw group with very little to lose.

On paper, Bafana win this comfortably. In practice, there are enough moving parts to keep things interesting.

Broos is expected to rest a cluster of regulars with Mamelodi Sundowns only recently out of CAF Champions League final action, opening the door for fringe players to stake late World Cup claims. Bradley Cross, Sphephelo Sithole and Thalente Mbatha could all feature, while the battle between Lyle Foster and Iqraam Rayners for the central striking role adds an intriguing subplot.

The man everyone wants to watch is Relebohile Mofokeng. The 21-year-old Orlando Pirates winger has been exceptional all season — ten league goals, seven assists and an average match rating of 7.84 — and Orlando Stadium is his home ground. If there is a night for him to deliver a statement performance, this is it.

Stay with Afrik-Foot South Africa for live updates, confirmed line-ups and all the action from Soweto.