Polokwane municipality has urged fans to come in large numbers when Bafana Bafana play at the New Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane, Limpopo, next week.
The forthcoming Bafana’s international friendly match against their Tanzanian counterparts on June 6 at this iconic 2010 FIFA World Cup stadium will be their second match in a space of just over two months.
They played their last match there on March 21 against Lesotho in the 2026 FIFA World Cup African qualifier, where they emerged 2-0 victorious.
Polokwane Municipality’s Mantlako Sebaka expressed his excitement about the forthcoming match.
Boost for province
“Not only do matches involving a national team like Bafana Bafana lift the name and the province’s flag high, but they also go a long way in boosting our economy as well.”
With Polokwane municipality status on the verge of being graded to a metropolitan, Sebaka said it’s a good indication. He said hosting a senior team of Bafana’s calibre shows that they, as the city, have an equal capacity like other provinces. They can handle such massive games.
“We showed our capability when we first hosted the team two months ago by filling the stadium. And our plea now to our fans is for them to come and fill the venue to its capacity. To prove that the last time they did was not a fluke,” he said.
Bafana coach Hugo Broos has since praised the pitch at the Peter Mokaba Stadium. It was fixed to the tune of R800 000 following its damage in December. The pitch was damaged during Limpopo singer Makhadzi’s One Woman Show Festival.
After their match against Tanzania, Bafana’s next international friendly match will be against Mozambique. The game is on July 10 at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.
Banyana Banyana
Meanwhile, Banyana Banyana will also be taking advantage of this FIFA calendar week. They will be playing two international friendly matches at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville. The match outside Pretoria will be part of their preparations for the forthcoming Women’s African Cup of Nations (WAFCON) scheduled for Morocco in July.
The Desiree Ellis–coached side takes on Botswana on Wednesday, May 28. This is before they could rub shoulders with Zambia on Tuesday, June 3.
Ellis said the match against Botswana should not be a problem for them. They are not a close book to them.
“We have played them often enough, and we know what to expect from them. They always bring the physicality and also the counterattacking and the pace,” Ellis was quoted.
