SAFA reveals Bafana Bafana's 2026 FIFA World Cup training base and Hugo Broos explains why opening game against Mexico will be special

The South Africa Football Association (SAFA) has revealed Bafana Bafana's training base during the 2026 World Cup finals.

The national team will be based in Pachuca, Mexico, and will train at the Universidad del Futbol, according to SAFA.

Bafana managed to grab a ticket to the global football tournament following a challenging qualification journey. South Africa are in Group A alongside Mexico, South Korea, and a yet-to-be-determined nation. The other member of the group will come from the winner of the UEFA play-offs involving Denmark, the Czech Republic and Macedonia.

The 1996 AFCON winners will start their campaign against the co-hosts Mexico in a match that will be played on 11 June 2026 at the Estadio Azteca in Coyoacán.

Bafana's head coach, Hugo Broos, has explained why he is pleased with the chosen training base. Apart from being happy with the facility, the Belgian tactician has explained why the opening game will be special.

“I’m very pleased with the facilities and the two nice pitches where we can train. The fitness rooms, the hospital and everything we need to have a good preparation for that match,” Broos said.

“Once the composition of the group was known, I knew that the game against Mexico should be a special match for us,” he added.

“Not because it’s Mexico, but because we had to play that game at high altitude. I was also here in the 1986 World Cup with Belgium as a player,” he added.

“So I knew, based on experience, that before we could play that game against Mexico, we needed a high-altitude camp. I also met the people from Pachuca in Washington, and they proposed the location here, and I said to them, “We will see in the next few weeks what we are going to do and what the best options are.”

“So there were a few other options, but one thing that was important to me was that we should already be in Mexico and start the high-altitude camp and not have a trip again,” the former Cameroon head coach continued.

One of the key factors when a team chooses its training base is the distance between the facility and the match venues. During the AFCON finals, Broos complained about the distance between their training facility and their hotel.

“Another thing that was very important is the distance between Mexico City and Pachuca, and it’s 85km. But I wanted to see also the facilities; they have to be good, so that’s why yesterday we had the visit to the location here in the university, and I am very pleased with the facilities," Broos stated as he defended the choice.

“Nice pitches where we can train, the fitness room where we can train, the hospital… everything that we need to have very good preparations for that match.

“So that’s why we decided already yesterday together with my team manager that this will be our home; this will be our base camp for the World Cup in two or three months.”

All eyes will be on the tactician when he names his World Cup-bound squad before the finals begin.