Soccer
Bafana Bafana’s CHAN Qualifier in Bloem postponed─── MORGAN PIEK 07:58 Thu, 27 Feb 2025
The African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifier between Bafana Bafana and Egypt in Bloemfontein has been postponed by two days.
Originally scheduled for Friday, the match will now take place on Sunday afternoon. The change comes after Egypt experienced delays in obtaining the necessary visas to enter South Africa, with their travel documents only expected to be issued on Friday. Their request to postpone the fixture was granted on Wednesday night.
The last time Bafana Bafana played in Bloemfontein was in June 2024 when they beat Zimbabwe 3-1 in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at a sold-out Toyota Stadium.
The South African Football Association (SAFA) confirmed the rescheduling of the first-leg qualifier, though the match will still take place at the original venue.
Toyota Stadium. Photo: Frikkie Kapp
“The first-round African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifier between South Africa and Egypt will now be played on Sunday, 2 March 2025, after the North Africans encountered difficulties in acquiring their visas,” SAFA said in a statement.
“Egypt requested the postponement when it became clear they would only receive the documents on the day of the match, Friday, 28 February 2025. The request was approved, and the match will still be played at Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein.”
In another development, former Bafana Bafana star Helman Mkhalele will not be in charge of the team for the match. He will instead focus on preparations for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin.
Molefi Ntseki. Photo: BackpagePix
SAFA Technical Committee Chairman Jack Maluleke and South Africa U20 coach Raymond Mdaka will assist Molefi Ntseki in preparing the squad. Ntseki, a former Bafana Bafana head coach, previously in the role before Hugo Broos, was axed following a string of poor results. Just last week, he was dismissed as the assistant coach of Bloemfontein-based Premier Soccer League side Marumo Gallants.
Bafana Bafana arrived in Bloemfontein on Wednesday to begin preparations for the two-legged CHAN qualifier. The postponement provides them with valuable additional time to fine-tune their game plan. Their first training session in Bloemfontein is set for Thursday.
Sunday’s match at Toyota Stadium will kick off at 17:00.
