Bafana held to a goalless draw by Nicaragua ahead of World Cup

Bafana Bafana were held to a disappointing goalless draw by Nicaragua in an international friendly at Orlando Stadium on Friday night.
The match served as South Africa’s final send-off before the team departs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Head coach Hugo Broos opted to experiment with new combinations, resting several Mamelodi Sundowns players who only returned to the country on Tuesday following their CAF Champions League triumph over Moroccan side AS FAR in Rabat on Sunday.
Nicaragua frustrated the hosts throughout the match with a disciplined defensive display, while Bafana Bafana squandered a number of promising goal-scoring opportunities.
Striker Lyle Foster missed a penalty on the stroke of half-time after Kamogelo Sebelebele was brought down inside the box.
Despite the disappointing result, Broos expressed satisfaction with his team’s overall performance, particularly given the absence of several senior players.
“It may surprise you when I say that I am happy with the team’s performance, even though the result was not what we expected,” said the Belgian coach.
However, Broos was critical of Nicaragua’s approach, describing their tactics as overly defensive.
“It was a very difficult game against a negative opponent. I don’t know what they came here to do. They were simply defending and kicking the ball forward. That meant we had to be patient and work hard to find spaces and create opportunities,” he said.
Bafana Bafana will depart for Mexico on Sunday and begin their World Cup campaign against the host nation on June 11 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted by Mexico, Canada and the United States.