Bafana Bafana's 2026 FIFA World Cup opponents secure international friendly match against African giants Ivory Coast

Bafana kick off their 2026 FIFA World Cup preparations in March with back-to-back international friendly matches against Panama at home. 

Other World Cup-bound teams will also be busy engaged in friendly games across the globe. 

South Korea, who are one of the Group A contestants together with Bafana, will face Ivory Coast in London on March 28.

 "This match is a preparation for Korea's third match in the group stage of the North and Central American World Cup against South Africa, and is expected to test Korea's competitiveness in the finals against Cote d'Ivoire, which boasts the explosive speed and resilient physique characteristic of African teams," the Korea Football Association said as per KickOff.

March will see Bafana anxiously waiting to know which team will complete Group A as the fourth contestant.

The winner of the UEFA playoffs involving Denmark, the Czech Republic and Macedonia will pick the ticket to join Mexico, Bafana and South Korea in Group A.

The month of March will also see Mexico playing three friendly matches against Iceland, Portugal and Belgium.

Competition to make it into Hugo Broos' Bafana squad for the World Cup is expected to be stiff in the upcoming months.

From the goalkeeping department to the strikeforce, Bross is still considering players who did not make it to the 2025 AFCON finals. 

That makes his doors open and that would inspire a number of players to fancy their chances of going to the World Cup. 

It will be the first time for the Belgian to coach at this competition after gracing it in 1986 as a player.