WHILE the governing body for football in the country, the South African Football Association (Safa), confirms that the country’s men’s national team, Bafana Bafana, will play two friendly matches against Panama, different opinions have emerged from football fans in the country.
These games are planned to sharpen the local team as there are months before the start of the World Cup which will be held in the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
Part of the fans expressed doubts about the level of the Panamanian national team which does not have much history in world football and what Bafana will gain by facing them twice at Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban, on Friday and at DHL Stadium in Cape Town on March 31.
Why was Panama chosen?
The decision was taken because this country in North America, which plays under the Concacaf region, is one of the teams that have reserved a place in the World Cup and plays a style similar to Mexico, which is the country Bafana will open with in the World Cup.
Although they have played in the World Cup once, in Russia in 2018, Panama is ranked 30th in the world due to their good results in the last few years. It is in a better place compared to the local team which is in 60th place.
“If I didn’t believe that playing with Panama would help us, I wouldn’t have accepted these games. They are ranked much higher than us, which means they are at a higher level. Secondly, they play in the same way as other countries close to them, including Mexico, which we will face in the World Cup. We will get good tests in these games. It will show us whether we will be able to withstand different styles of play, what level we are at and what we need to improve before playing against Mexico,” said Bafana coach, Hugo Broos. asked about facing Panama.
History of Panama in football
This team, nicknamed Los Canarelos, played for the first time in the World Cup in 2018 where they were defeated by Belgium 3-0, England 6-1 and Tunisia 2-1.
Although it has never been the champions of its continent, it has improved a lot since the coach, Thomas Christiansen, took over in 2020. This coach, who was born in Denmark but played for the Spanish national team, led Panama to the finals of the Concacaf Gold Cup in 2023 and the Concacaf Nations League last year, but was defeated by Mexico in both games.
They booked their place in the 2026 World Cup by winning all the matches in the first qualifying round against Nicaragua, Guyana, Montserrat and Belize. In the second, it topped the group that included El Salvador, Guatemala and Suriname.
This year’s World Cup will open in Group L with England, Croatia and Ghana.
Which are the best Panama players?
On Tuesday, the coach of Panama announced the squad of 23 players who will face Bafana in these two games.
This team is led by midfielder Aníbal Godoy, who plays for San Diego FC in the Major League Soccer in the USA, who has played 157 games for the national team.
At the back there are players including Amir Murillo who plays on the right side of the Turkish team, Besiktas. He not only marks but also scores goals when attacking.
Midfielders who are expected to be a problem for Bafana include José Luis Rodríguez who plays for FC Juárez in Mexico, César Yanis who plays for CD Cobresal in Chile, Yoel Bárcenas from Mazatlán FC in Mexico and others.
The country’s stoppers should also monitor sharp strikers Ismael Díaz who plays for León in Mexico, Cecilio Waterman of the University of Concepción in Chile, José Fajardo of the Catholic University, Ecuador and young striker Kadir Barría who plays for Botafogo in Brazil.