South Africa’s senior men’s national team, Bafana Bafana, will play two friendly matches against Panama, Ghana’s 2026 FIFA World Cup group opponents, next month in Durban and Cape Town.
The first match takes place at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday, 27 March, and the second game will be at DHL Cape Town Stadium on Tuesday, 31 March 2026.
Head coach Hugo Broos views the matches as an important step in his team’s build-up to the World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States of America, Canada, and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July 2026.
Bafana Bafana return to Durban for the first time since a goalless draw against Zimbabwe at Moses Mabhida Stadium in October 2025. Despite dominating the match, South Africa was denied by goal-line clearances and the woodwork before later securing World Cup qualification with a 3-0 win over Rwanda in Mbombela.
Tickets for the friendlies start from R80 (GH₵54.56) for adults and R50 (GH₵34.30) for children under 12, available from Thursday, 26 February 2026.
Ghana, who are making their fifth World Cup appearance, will open their 2026 campaign against Panama on 17 June, face England on 23 June, and complete the group stage against Croatia on 27 June.
Before the mundial, the Black Stars will regroup in March for friendlies against Austria and Germany before a final warm-up match against Mexico ahead of the tournament.
By: Pascal Amoah
