Bafana Bafana will be looking to banish their bad memories at Mbombela Stadium when they face Rwanda in the last match of the FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
South African Football Association (SAFA) CEO Lydia Monyepao has confirmed Mbombela will host the match.
“We are playing in Mbombela,” said Monyepao.
“But (Bafana coach) Hugo Broos says he doesn’t care where he plays, but the field has to be in tip-top shape. I think you saw that we had issues in Bloemfontein (against Nigeria), where they promised the field would be in tip-top shape. Unfortunately, leading up to the game, some rugby was played, which left the pitch in less than an ideal condition.”
The date for the match in Mpumalanga is yet to be announced, but it would appear to be Tuesday, 14 October.
Mbombela is by no means a happy hunting ground for Bafana Bafana.
In 2011, the team, guided by Dr Pitso Mosimane, thought they needed a draw against Sierra Leone to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
The match finished goalless, and Bafana Bafana, oblivious to the rules, went on a shameful dance around the Mbombela field, but their joy was short-lived.
Bafana managed nine points and were level with Sierra Leone and Niger, who actually qualified because of their superior head-to-head qualifying results (not goal difference, as Bafana Bafana thought).
Bafana Bafana versus Rwanda next month may come around with Broos’s men needing a win to qualify for next year’s World Cup, and if they get over the line, what happened in 2011 would be a distant memory.
