Gauteng misses out as SAFA reveal venues for Bafana Bafana's 2026 FIFA World Cup preparation friendlies against Panama

The South African senior men’s national team will head to the coast for both encounters against the Central Americans. 

According to an official statement: "Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium and DHL Cape Town Stadium will host Bafana Bafana’s two international friendly matches against Panama next month." 

The tour kicks off in KwaZulu-Natal before the squad moves to the Mother City for the secondary clash.

SAFA provided the specific scheduling for the fixtures, noting that "The South African senior men’s national team host the first match at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday, 27 March, before facing the Central American country in the second game in Cape Town on Tuesday, 31 March 2026." 

For head coach Hugo Broos, these fixtures are more than mere exhibitions; they are a vital opportunity to face non-African opposition for the first time since they played lowly Andorra in a friendly in March 2024.

"The matches form a critical component of head coach Hugo Broos’ build-up programme ahead of the global tournament, which will be hosted by the United States of America, Canada, and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July 2026," the statement reads.

A return to Moses Mabhida carries significant weight, as the team looks to exorcise the ghosts of a frustrating recent outing there. 

The statement recalled: "Bafana Bafana return to Durban for the first time since they were held to a goalless draw by Zimbabwe in a tense 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier played at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in October 2025."

Despite that stalemate, the team secured their qualification in their final group match, running out 3-0 winners over Rwanda.

Supporters looking to catch the action live have been given a clear indication of pricing and availability.

The official release confirmed: "Tickets to the two matches between Bafana Bafana and Panama will open from R80.00 for adults and R50.00 for children under 12 years old. The tickets will be available from Thursday, 26 February 2026." 

With qualification already secure, these matches against Panama offer fans a chance to celebrate the team's achievements ahead of the journey to North America.

Panama are from the CONCACAF region and will also be at the World Cup after topping Group A in their qualification campaign.

They qualified from a group that had Suriname, Guatemala and El Salvador with a 100 percent record after winning all their games.

At the World Cup, they will be in Group L together with England, Croatia and Ghana.

Known as The Red Tide, Panama are coached by Denmark-born former Spain international forward Thomas Christiansen.

At number 33 on the FIFA world rankings, Panama are placed better than Bafana who are positioned 60th globally.