WC: Bafana Bafana Line Up Friendlies Against Ivory Coast, Eswatini Ahead of Nigeria Clash
The South African national football team, also known as Bafana Bafana, has lined up friendlies against Ivory Coast and Eswatini ahead of their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Nigeria.
The two friendlies will take place next month, with Bafana Bafana taking on Eswatini on October 13 and Ivory Coast on October 17.
Head coach Hugo Broos is expected to name a 23-man squad for the games this week.
The friendlies will provide Broos with an opportunity to assess his squad and test out tactics ahead of the important World Cup qualifier against Nigeria.
Bafana Bafana are drawn in Group C of the African qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, along with Nigeria, Benin, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, and Lesotho.
The group winners will qualify automatically for the World Cup, while the four best group runners-up will advance to a play-off round to determine who will represent Africa in an inter-confederation tournament in March 2026.
Canada, Mexico, and the United States will all jointly host the FIFA World Cup in 2026.
