The South African Football Association (SAFA) has announced that tickets are now on sale for Bafana Bafana’s upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
South Africa will host Lesotho at the Peter Mokaba Stadium on 21 March, before traveling to Côte d’Ivoire to face Benin four days later.
Home clash against Lesotho in Polokwane
Bafana Bafana’s encounter with Lesotho will kick off at 18:00 on Human Rights Day in South Africa.
This marks a significant return for the national team, which has not played in Limpopo since November 2017, when they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Senegal in a replay of a 2018 World Cup qualifier.
SAFA has made tickets available via TicketPro, priced at ZAR70 for adults and ZAR40 for children under 12.
The match will be broadcast live on SABC, with additional corporate suite packages and weekend accommodation deals offered in partnership with Southern Sun and Limpopo Tourism.
SAFA president Danny Jordaan emphasized the importance of 2024 for South African football, with both the World Cup qualifiers and the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) later this year in Morocco.
Bafana Bafana have not played in Limpopo for a long time, and it will be special to start the year in Polokwane, Jordaan said. We want the Peter Mokaba Stadium to be vibrant on that day.
Benin to continue hosting matches abroad
After their home fixture against Lesotho, Bafana Bafana will head to Côte d’Ivoire to face Benin on 25 March.
The Beninese national team has been forced to play its home games in neutral venues due to stadiums in Benin not meeting CAF standards.
Since the start of the 2023 World Cup qualifiers, Benin has been hosting its home fixtures in Côte d’Ivoire.
Before facing South Africa, the team will take on Zimbabwe on 17 March at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, another venue chosen due to Benin’s ongoing stadium issues.
Tight race in Group C
Bafana Bafana, under the management of Hugo Broos, currently sit second in Group C with seven points, level with both Rwanda and Benin.
Lesotho follows closely with five points, while Nigeria is unexpectedly struggling with just three.
Zimbabwe sits at the bottom of the table with two points.
With the group still wide open, South Africa will be aiming for a strong performance in these two fixtures to strengthen their chances of securing a spot at the 2026 World Cup.
