Bafana v Zimbabwe Fifa World Cup clash gets earlier kick-off

The 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier between Bafana Bafana and Zimbabwe at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Tuesday, 11 June 2024 will kick off at 6pm.

The initial communication from Fifa had the game penciled in for a 9pm kick off, but South African Football Association (Safa) CEO Lydia Monyepao said they requested a switch to a 7:30pm start to accommodate the fans.

“We wanted the game to kick off at 7:30pm because this is the traditional start of late matches in South Africa, and given that it is a midweek match, it accommodates those who are coming from work and have other engagements,” she said.

“But ultimately we were given a 6pm kick off and the decision is final. So, the match between Bafana Bafana and Zimbabwe at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein on Tuesday, 11 June 2024 will kick off at 6pm. We call upon all fans to fill up the stadium and support the boys, make sure that they feel the love when they play their first match at home since the Bronze medal achievement at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast a few weeks ago.”

The gates will open at 3pm and the tickets are priced at R50 for adults. Kids, scholars and students will pay R20 (school uniform and student cards required for over 12-year-olds). Tickets are available at TicketPro outlets, Spar, SuperSpar, Putco, Postnet etc.

The South African senior men’s national team will return to Bloemfontein for the first time since the 2010 Fifa World Cup. They last played in the city when they beat France 2-1 in the global Fifa tournament 14 years ago.

Coach Hugo Broos will announce a preliminary squad in the coming days and his final 23-man team towards the end of the month.

© SAFA