Super Eagles World Cup qualifying opponents Bafana Bafana are living no stone unturned in their preparations as Coach Hugo Broos announced a 36-man team for double header friendlies against AFCON hosts Cote d Ivoire and Eswatini next month. The squad dished out Saturday is expected to be trimmed to 23 before the encounters lined up as part of shape up for the Rainbow Nation.
The two friendly games are part of South Africa’s coach Hugo Broos’ preparations for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in January next year, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in November this year.
The 1996 AFCON winners will host Eswatini on 13 October 2023 and on 17 October they will take on Côte d’Ivoire.
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On Saturday, 23 September 2023, a 36-man preliminary squad was announced for the international friendly matches against Eswatini and Côte d’Ivoire.
The Super Eagles will host South Africa on June 2024 on match day three of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Then the Eagles visit South Africa on September 2025 for the second leg.
Since hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa have missed the last three editions in 2014, 2018 and 2022.
On their part, the Eagles missed the 2022 tournament after losing to Black Stars of Ghana on goals difference in the play-offs.
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Both South Africa and Nigeria will feature at next year’s AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire. Friendly matches for the Rainbow nation are not limited to the Bafana Bafana and their women counterpart Banyana Banyana have also been enjoying series of friendlies after a good show at the last World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The latest of such friendlies for the ladies was a back to back encounter with USA to mark the retirement of two veterans of the USWNT Ertz and Rapinoe who have called it quits with international football.