South Africa’s national teams have a busy schedule ahead of them – beginning this month (July) leading up to the end of the year in December.
South Africa’s national teams have a busy schedule ahead of them – beginning this month (July) leading up to the end of the year in December.
Almost all the country’s national teams will be in action in various tournaments.
First up is the Sasol-sponsored Banyana Banyana who will be away in the USA to face the hosts in an international friendly match – this in preparation for the upcoming 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
The SA Senior Women’s National Team depart on Tuesday, 5 July for the much-antipicated clash against their American counterparts which will be played on Saturday, 9 July at Soldier Field in Chicago.
The following day (9 July) the Burger King-sponsored South African u20 Men’s National Team will be away in Lesotho for the 3rd round, 1st leg of the Caf African Youth Championship Qualifier.
This will take place at the Setsoto Stadium – with the return leg set for Johannesburg two weeks later (23 July) at a venue still to be confirmed.
In August (on the weekend of 5-7) will see the South African u17 Men’s National Team host either Tanzania or Seychelles in the 2nd round 1st leg of the CAF African Youth Championship qualifier. The venue is yet to be announced.
The away leg will be held a fortnight later (19-21 August).
In-between (3-20 August) there will be 2016 Olympic Games, which will have both Banyana Banyana and The South African u23 Men’s National Team participating in Brazil.
Bafana Bafana will play their final fixture of the Gabon 2017 AFCON qualifiers against Mauritania on 3 September at a venue still to be confirmed.
Should the u17 Men’s National Team do well, they will proceed to the 3rd round 1st leg of the CAF African Youth Championship qualifiers on the weekend of 16 – 18 September, with the return leg pencilled in for the weekend of 30 September – 2 October.
Bafana Bafana will be back in action away to Burkina Faso when they kick off their FIFA World Cup 2018 Russia qualifiers campaign on the weekend of 7-8 October.
The following month (12 November) the South Africans will play host to Senegal in the same competition.
Banyana Banyana will close the year 2016 with participation in the CAF African Women’s Championship, which is hosted by Cameroon between 19 November and 3 December.
Bafana Bafana’s next assignment in the FIFA World Cup 2018 Russia qualifiers will only be in September 2017 with back to back clashes against Cape Verde. The first encounter will be away on the weekend of 1 – 2, with the second match set for 5 September in South Africa.
On 7 October 2017, Bafana Bafana will host Burkina Faso, while on the weekend of 10 – 11 November they will be away to Senegal in the last fixture of the.
The draw for FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 Final Tournament is expected to be held in December 2017, but yet to be confirmed.