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Bafana Bafana players during a training session.
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos says Saturday’s international friendly against Zambia in Gqeberha is a must-win for his team. Broos says it’s important for Bafana to maintain their top ten ranking on the continent ahead of the 2026 World Cup draw in early December.
The match against the Africa Cup of Nations-bound Zambia will be played at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
Bafana Bafana’s international friendly against Zambia is part of the team’s preparations for next month’s Afcon tournament in Morocco. It’s the only confirmed warm-up match ahead of the continental football showpiece for Bafana.
Although Zambia are ranked lower than Bafana, Broos expects a tough encounter.
“I want to win this game on Saturday. Why I want to win it, it’s important for our ranking. We always want to be in the top 10, and if possible, we want to return at least to 9th. Besides, we are just one month away from the Afcon. This is also the last opportunity to see more players from close range, like the two players I have with me. They have been performing well at their clubs. Now, we are in the national team, the step is a bit higher,” says Broos.
All 23 players were at the team’s first training session in Johannesburg. With the Afcon tournament just over a month away, Broos says there’s not much time left to experiment.
“We are in preparation for the Afcon. We don’t have time to experiment too much. That’s why I said 75% of the Afcon team is already there. We have to be prepared for everything. When you compare with the last Afcon, we’ve got Angola, who play a completely different kind of football compared to the teams we played in the last Afcon, but we have to prepare for any eventuality, and we will be ready,” Broos added.
Bafana Bafana will train at the Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg and will only leave for Gqeberha on Thursday afternoon.
