Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
To get primed for the 2026 FIFA World Cup this June, Bafana Bafana has set up a warm-up match starting May 29, four days after the start of training camp. The South Africans will open Group A play against Mexico on June 11 at the Azteca Stadium.
All eyes and media channels will be dialed in on May 29th, when Bafana Bafana takes on Nicaragua in Pachuca. Head Coach Broos is also said to be working on another friendly match against Puerto Rico. It makes sense to get the team fine-tuned for the June 11 kick-off. However, sometimes untimely injuries can occur even during warm-ups.
With so much attention, and especially special bonuses at the top World Cup betting ZA sites, any untimely injury can not only derail Bafana Bafana’s campaign, but in other areas as well. Broos wants to get his squad accustomed to the high altitude to ensure they are fully winded for 90 minutes of high-intensity.
South Africa’s History in the World Cup
Unlike other African nations, South Africa has a unique history in World Cup competition. Due to apartheid, South Africa became eligible for World Cup play in 1992 after apartheid ended. Prior to that, FIFA suspended Bafana Bafana in 1961, and officially expelled them in 1976. Bafana Bafana officially participated in the World Cup in 1998.
Their first two matches were draws; however, France’s 3-0 shutout ended their maiden campaign. In 2010, South Africa hosted the World Cup tournament and became the first African nation to host World Cup play. However, Bafana Bafana missed the next three tournaments. Manager Hugo Broos gets a lot of credit for rebuilding South Africa and qualifying for the World Cup.
For the 2026 tournament at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City, South Africa takes on Mexico. The opening match is on June 11. Mexico and South Africa played to a 1-1 draw at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg during the group stage of the 2010 World Cup tournament hosted by South Africa. After playing Mexico, South Africa take on European champions the Czech Republic in Atlanta on June 18 and meet South Korea in their final group match in Monterrey on June 24.
