Bafana’s Training Interrupted Before World Cup Qualifier Against Benin

Bafana Bafana encounters a major logistical hurdle as they are unable to hold a training session at Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny on Monday, right before their vital 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying clash against Benin on Tuesday at 18:00.

This complication arises because Ivory Coast is also set to play a World Cup qualifier against Gambia at the same venue, Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny, on Monday at 21:00.

As a result, Bafana Bafana will have to get accustomed to the match-day pitch on Tuesday.

According to FIFA and CAF regulations, both teams are required to train at the venue the day before the match. However, the scheduling conflict with Ivory Coast’s game against Gambia disrupts this obligation.

This situation compels the Bafana Bafana coaching staff and management to seek an alternative training location before Tuesday’s match, a scenario that is likely to frustrate coach Hugo Broos.

Broos, who is expected to host a press conference soon, is likely to express his frustration regarding the management of this issue by the officials of Benin and Ivory Coast.

He has previously raised concerns about countries hosting matches at venues that do not meet necessary standards and has called for consequences in such cases.

Notably, Benin is one of the 12 CAF member associations that are unable to host FIFA or CAF events due to their stadiums not meeting the required standards.

This predicament led Bafana Bafana to postpone their departure from South Africa to Ivory Coast, taking advantage of the extra time for recovery and preparation following their 2-0 win against Lesotho at Peter Mokaba Stadium on Friday before flying charter on Sunday afternoon.

The delayed departure, which attracted some attention, was reportedly a tactical decision by the team to mitigate potential frustrations, according to sources at Sportswire, suggesting it might have been a strategic move by Benin officials.

While Bafana Bafana celebrated their victory over Lesotho, Benin managed to secure a 2-2 draw against Zimbabwe at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Thursday.

Currently, Bafana Bafana leads Group C with 10 points, closely followed by Benin with eight points after both teams have played five matches.

A silver lining for Bafana Bafana is that their next four group matches following the one against Benin will occur in South Africa. Lesotho and Zimbabwe will host their home games there due to a CAF ban concerning their stadiums’ compliance with requirements. Bafana Bafana has already played away matches against Rwanda and Nigeria, with return fixtures planned in South Africa.

Only the group winners will qualify automatically for the FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the USA, while the four best-placed runners-up will have an additional chance through playoffs.