The national men’s football team, Bafana Bafana, will be heading to Bloemfontein for the first time in close to 14 years next month.
South Africa will be hosting its neighbour, Zimbabwe, in an important 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier, just a week after facing the Super Eagles of Nigeria, in Nigeria.
The match at the Toyota Stadium will be Bafana’s first game there since their historic 2-1 win against France during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The victory in the Group A match bundled France out of the World Cup, and it also happened to be the legendary Arsenal striker, Thierry Henry’s very last game for Les Blues. This match was played just 11 days shy of exactly 14 years since South Africa’s last match in the city.
In 2014, Zimbabwe played in Bloemfontein at the stadium during the African Nations Championship (CHAN Tournament). In the semi-finals, they lost 5-4 on penalties to Libya. The last international football game in Bloemfontein was the bronze medal match in which Nigeria beat Zimbabwe 1-0.
Bafana will also become the very first team to play on the newly redone pitch at the Toyota Stadium. Free State Rugby has spent the last month redoing the pitch (which gets done annually) in time for the historic rugby Test against Portugal. This match will, however, only be played on 20 July, while the Currie Cup first round is set to kick off on 6 July with the defending champions, the Toyota Cheetahs, at home against the Suzuki Griffons.
The FIFA World Cup qualifier between South Africa and Zimbabwe will be played on 11 June, with kick-off at 21:00. – MORGAN PIEK
