Polokwane to host Bafana’s World Cup qualifier against Lesotho

The Polokwane municipality has given assurances the Peter Mokaba Stadium will be ready to host the crucial 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier between Bafana Bafana and Lesotho in March. 

Limpopo-based Premier Soccer League sides Polokwane City and Sekhukhune United have not had access to the 2010 World Cup venue in recent weeks after the surface was badly damaged during a music concert in December. 

The provincial government said it is confident the stadium will be ready to host its first match of the new year when coach Hugo Broos’ charges host their Cosafa neighbours on March 21. 

Bafana will travel to Benin by charter flight shortly after the game to face the West Africans in a second qualifier a few days later. 

“The match is not only another fixture on the football calendar, it is a momentous occasion for our city, our province and our country as we rally behind our boys in their quest to secure a spot in football’s grandest stage,” said Limpopo premier Phophi Ramathuba. 

SA Football Association president Danny Jordaan said: “Hosting the game in Polokwane is a continuation of our commitment to take the team to different parts of the country.

“We hope to see the passionate and packed stadiums we saw in Mangaung, Gqeberha and Cape Town during the team’s unbeaten run in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers last year. It is Polokwane’s turn to fill up the stadium.”

Bafana are in a strong position in the six-team World Cup qualifying group C on seven points from four matches with fellow group leaders Rwanda and Benin. Group powerhouse Nigeria have had a nightmare start and are wallowing in fifth place with three points.

The South Africans, bronze medallists at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, would like a convincing win against Lesotho to build their goal difference. A slip-up against their landlocked neighbours would be a setback to their campaign to be in Mexico, Canada and the US in 2026.