Next Bafana home game set for Cape Town

Bafana Bafana will return to Cape Town after a nine-year absence with South Africa’s last qualifier for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals being scheduled for the Mother City, the Confederation of African Football’s fixture list revealed on Tuesday.

The match will be played at the Cape Town Stadium on Tuesday, 19 November on the last day of qualifiers for the 2025 finals when the last of the places in the 24-team field should be settled.

South Africa are yet to qualify but in strong position with two matches to complete in Group K.

They will book their place at the finals in Morocco if they beat Uganda in their next match, away in Kampala on Friday, 15 November.

If unsuccessful South Africa will then have another chance to make sure against South Sudan in Cape Town, where Bafana last played a match in mid-2015 when they beat Angola in a friendly international.

It will be the 12th time that South Africa play an international in the Mother City but only the third qualifying match.

Under coach Gordon Igesund, they beat the Central African Republic in a World Cup qualifier at the Cape Town Stadium in 2013 but lost 3-1 to Zambia in a Cup of Nations qualifier in 2007 when the side was taken apart by Zambia striker Chris Katongo.

South African stadiums will also host other qualifiers for countries who are not able to play at home because of inadequate facilities.

Namibia and Zimbabwe will be using the Orlando Stadium in Soweto for their respective clashes against Cameroon and Kenya in Group J while Lesotho, who are already eliminated, have moved from Durban to Bloemfontein for their penultimate game in Group B against the Central African Republic.

Madagascar will host their must-win game in Group A against Tunisia at the Johannesburg Stadium while Eswatini continue to use the Mbombela Stadium for their home games, this time against Guinea-Bissau in Group I on 15 November.