HERMAN GIBBS
Although Bloemfontein consolidated its claims that it drew the biggest crowds to Bafana Bafana matches, the national team’s next match will be at the Orlando Stadium.
Safa have announced that the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Bafana Bafana and Uganda will be played at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg on Friday, September 6.
In June, the Bloemfontein fans came out in their numbers and filled the 46000-seater Free State Stadium on a week night when Bafana Bafana played Zimbabwe.
All indications were that Bloemfontein would be the first port of call when the national team played next but the Gauteng venue is deemed the logical choice this time. Straight after the Uganda match, Bafana Bafana will fly from Johannesburg to South Sudan for an away match four days later. Having the match take place at Orlando Stadium reduces their travel time.
Safa president Danny Jordaan has urged supporters to come out in numbers and support Bafana Bafana in the same way they have done in Bloemfontein.
“We want to continue the momentum and the amazing scenes we saw in Bloemfontein when Bafana Bafana faced Zimbabwe in June. We want to see the same at Orlando Stadium,” said Jordaan.
The match against Uganda will be the first of six qualifiers Bafana Bafana play in Group K. The world’s 57th-ranked side is up against Uganda (95th), Congo (118th), and South Sudan (169th).
The qualifiers continue until next year and the top two teams in the 12 groups will automatically qualify for the 2025 Afcon finals from December 21, 2025 to January 18, 2026 in Morocco, with 24 countries competing.
National team coach Hugo Broos and his assistants will not have many chances to look at players in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) before the match against Uganda. Eight teams played the MTN8 quarter-finals last week, and for the next two weeks, only Stellenbosch FC and Orlando Pirates will be in action, in CAF matches.
A week before the Uganda match, Mamelodi Sundowns, Cape Town City, Pirates and Stellenbosch will play the first leg of the MTN8 semi-finals. It’s very likely that the bulk of Broos’ squad for the match against Uganda will be chosen from the ranks of Pirates and Sundowns. At least these players will have playing time under their belts by the time they run out against Uganda.
Broos will have a hard act to follow if they want to repeat their heroics at the Afcon in Ivory Coast earlier this year. Broos’ depleted team punched above their weight to finish as surprise bronze medallists.