Bafana To Face Panama In March
The South African Football Association (SAFA) has confirmed that Bafana Bafana will play two international friendly matches against Panama next month.
The friendlies will be played in South Africa between 27 and 31 March as part of Bafana Bafana’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The matches form a key part of head coach Hugo Broos’s build-up programme ahead of the global tournament, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July 2026.
South Africa were drawn in Group A during the FIFA World Cup draw held in Washington DC in December 2025. Bafana Bafana will face Mexico, South Korea, and the winner of UEFA Playoff D, which includes the Czech Republic, the Republic of Ireland, Denmark or North Macedonia.
Panama, coached by Spaniard Thomas Christiansen, will also benefit from the fixtures as part of their own World Cup preparations. The Central American nation has been drawn in Group L alongside Ghana, Croatia and England.
According to SAFA, Panama, who are currently ranked 33rd in the world, were “considered to provide high-quality opposition. The Central American side offers a competitive, physical and tactically disciplined test that closely aligns with the level Bafana Bafana will face at the FIFA World Cup.”
SAFA added that match venues, kick-off times and ticketing information will be announced in the coming days.
These will be Bafana Bafana’s first matches since their round-of-16 exit to Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The fixtures will also mark the debut of Bafana Bafana’s new kit under Adidas, which has replaced Le Coq Sportif as the national team’s technical sponsor.
