Bafana set for Zimbabwe epic showdown

A well-rested Bafana Bafana team hit the Free State Stadium pitch in the final practice session on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s night’s 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe.

The South African senior men’s team has had a bit of time to catch their breath in Bloemfontein after a taxing travelling schedule to and from Nigeria a few days ago, and coach Hugo Broos briefly took time to share the team’s experience on the road. “I believe in my team, and I believe they can (perform). If we play the game the way we did on Friday (against Nigeria), taking travel into consideration, then I believe a win is possible against Zimbabwe,” said the coach.

Broos was complimentary of the group of players that have come together, eager to fight for their places in the team that is bidding to qualify for the next edition of the Fifa World Cup. He was pleased that despite the challenges, they kept their focus and stuck to the plan. Defender Given Msimango said Bafana Bafana did what they needed to do against the West Africans in Friday’s World Cup qualifier. “The travel was tough, yes, but the game was going to go ahead anyway, so we kept our focus. We all did! It’s about the football at the end of the day,” he said

When Msimango was asked how he felt when the call-up came for him to join the team after Grant Kekana had to be withdrawn due to injury, he could not stop smiling. “I was on vacation with my wife, and we had to cut that short. I’m happy to be here, honoured to play and I will give it my best.”

The team enjoyed their training session on Monday and are excited to play in front of the fans of ‘The City of Roses’ in what is going to be a match that will be remembered for a long time.

Kick-off is at 6pm on Tuesday. Tickets to this encounter are now available at the match venue, Free State stadium.

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 also available at TicketPro outlets, Spar, SuperSpar, Putco, Postnet etc. Hospitality tickets are available from the stadium, and they are priced at R1 500 and R2 000 packages, including food and drinks.