EThekwini Municipality Steps Forward with Bid to Host Bafana Bafana’s Crucial 2026 World Cup Qualifier Against Nigeria

Danny Jordaan, president of SAFA, has highlighted a growing eagerness across South Africa to host Bafana Bafana games. Recently, one province has already expressed interest in hosting the upcoming match against Nigeria.

In September next year, South Africa will face Nigeria in the second round of the group-stage matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Their first encounter ended in a 1-1 draw in Uyo back in June.

The excitement around Bafana Bafana is palpable, with cities all over South Africa eager to host these matches.

Danny Jordaan noted that Hugo Broos’ team has been performing exceptionally well, sparking a wave of enthusiasm.

The recent World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein saw a full house, with many more fans outside the stadium eager to get in.

Jordaan mentioned that the eThekwini Municipality has already made a bid to host the highly anticipated game against Nigeria next year.

Cities Eager to Host Bafana and Banyana

“The interest is through the roof,” Jordaan said. “Every city wants to host Bafana and Banyana.

Bafana is ranked among the top 10 teams in Africa, and Banyana are the African champions and ranked second. With both teams performing so well, the demand is sky-high.”

He added, “The scene in Bloemfontein was incredible; the stadium was packed, and even outside, people were clamoring for tickets. We had to call the police to manage the crowd.

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen such a strong push for support.”

KwaZulu-Natal’s Enthusiasm

Kwenza Ngwenya, the chairperson of SAFA KwaZulu-Natal, shared this enthusiasm, confirming, “Yes, we want it in Durban.”