The Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein has officially been approved to host South Africa’s crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Nigeria’s Super Eagles on Tuesday, September 9, after FIFA and CAF jointly cleared the venue.
For weeks, doubts hung over where Bafana Bafana would play their home fixtures following concerns about the poor state of the Free State Stadium pitch. But after a fresh round of inspections, the two governing bodies gave the green light.
“Considering the encouraging progress observed on the pitch, both organisations have agreed that the matches will proceed as originally scheduled at the Free State Stadium,” FIFA and CAF confirmed in a joint statement.
The decision comes as a relief for South Africa, who now have clarity ahead of two major fixtures. On Friday, September 5, Lesotho, who do not have a FIFA-approved stadium, will adopt the venue as their temporary home for their own qualifier.
Four days later, on September 9, Hugo Broos’ Bafana Bafana will welcome Nigeria for what promises to be a decisive Group C showdown.
South Africa currently lead the group with 13 points from six games, putting them in a strong position to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada.
Nigeria, however, find themselves under pressure. Eric Chelle’s Super Eagles sit fourth with just seven points, one behind Rwanda and Benin Republic, who occupy second and third place.
For Nigeria, nothing less than maximum points from their next two fixtures, against Rwanda and South Africa, will be enough to revive hopes of reaching their seventh World Cup appearance.