BIG TEST! Bafana Bafana's final friendly against former FIFA World Cup quarter-finalists confirmed ahead of 2025 AFCON as Hugo Broos looks to fine-tune South Africa team

South Africa's final preparations for the Africa Cup of Nations are underway, with the team having started training on Monday at the Tuks High Performance Centre in Pretoria.

Hugo Broos' side will be in South Africa's administrative/executive capital until December 17, before flying to Morocco, where they will compete in Africa's biggest football tournament.

Bafana secured a 3-1 win over Zambia in a friendly match in Gqeberha last month and the South African Football Association has now confirmed another preparatory game for the team.

The Southern African giants will renew their rivalry with Ghana as they meet for the first time since the Black Stars ended Bafana's 2022 FIFA World Cup dream in 2021.

Coach Otto Addo's side failed to qualify for the 2025 AFCON, but they booked their place in the 2026 World Cup, where they will take on England, Croatia and Panama in Group L.

"Bafana Bafana will face Ghana next week in their final match in South Africa ahead of their departure to this month’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco," a SAFA statement read.

"Coach Hugo Broos’ charges will host the West Africans in Gauteng on Tuesday, 16 December 2025 at a venue that will be announced in the coming days.

"The team will then depart for Morocco on the following day, ahead of their participation in the AFCON tournament to be held in Morocco from 21 December 2025 – January 2026. The stage is set for 24 African teams to battle it out in nine venues in Morocco and Côte d’Ivoire are the defending champions.

"Bafana Bafana are in Group B in the AFCON, and they will face Egypt, Angola and Zimbabwe. The South Africans play their first match of the continental tournament against Angola on 22 December 2025."

Broos has already discussed their preparations for the upcoming AFCON tournament as the team looks to go one step further and reach the final after finishing third in the 2023 edition in Ivory Coast.

“I was hoping to start the camp a little earlier, but for the second time the PSL didn’t want to co-operate because there is the final of the Carling Knockout Cup,” he said.

“Maybe they don’t want to hear it, but I am happy that Chiefs and Sundowns are out of the tournament already. We start our preparations on December 8 at the University of Pretoria, and we stay there until the 17th because we have to be in Morocco five days before our first game.

“The day before we leave for Morocco, we will play a friendly match, but we are still looking for an opponent. We arrive in Morocco to play our three scheduled group matches in December," the Belgian added.

“Hopefully, we will play more matches at the tournament in the new year. Before the camp, we have a friendly match, probably against Zambia, on November 14, and then I go to Belgium to see my family for about a week. From Belgium I go to the World Cup draw.

“Then I come back to South Africa on December 7 to start our preparation camp on December 8 in Pretoria.”

Broos' charges will square off with their Southern African rivals, Angola, on December 22 at the Marrakech Stadium in their opening Group B fixture.

A big fixture against Mohamed Salah-captained Egypt would then follow on December 26 at the Adrar Stadium.

Bafana would then wrap up their group stage campaign with a match against their neighbours, Zimbabwe, at the Marrakech Stadium on December 29. 

The top two teams of each group, along with the best four third-placed teams, will advance to the round of 16.