Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has announced his preliminary squad for the upcoming friendly match against Zambia, scheduled to take place next month.
The South African Football Association (SAFA) has yet to confirm the venue for the fixture.
This encounter will serve as Bafana Bafana’s final preparation before the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which kicks off on 21 December and runs until 18 January 2026 in Morocco.
The friendly comes at a crucial time for South Africa. Despite securing qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup earlier this month, Broos’s men dropped four places in the latest FIFA World Rankings.
A strong performance against Zambia could help improve their ranking ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw, which takes place on 5 December.
Some observers, however, believe SAFA should have arranged a friendly against a higher-ranked opponent — possibly a team from North Africa, South America, or Europe — to gain more ranking points before the updated standings are released in November.
Those November rankings will determine the seeding pots for the World Cup draw, raising concerns that Bafana could find themselves in a “group of death.”
While facing Zambia may not significantly boost South Africa’s ranking — as Chipolopolo have never qualified for a World Cup — they will provide valuable preparation for the AFCON, where Bafana will meet familiar Southern African opponents Zimbabwe and Angola in Group C, alongside Egypt.
Broos is expected to trim the preliminary list to a final 23-man squad in the coming days.
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