World Cup Play-Off Dates and Opponents Confirmed for Banyana Banyana

Banyana Banyana have officially learned the dates, fixtures and host country for their 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup preliminary play-off campaign as they continue their quest to qualify for next year’s global showpiece in Brazil.

The preliminary play-offs will be hosted in Morocco from 28 November to 5 December 2026, with six nations set to battle for places in the next stage of the qualification process.

South Africa’s route through the play-offs comes after their 2-1 defeat to hosts Morocco in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) quarter-finals on 21 October 2026 in Rabat.

That result ended Banyana’s hopes of securing automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup, forcing the African champions to take the longer route to Brazil.

With the play-off schedule now confirmed, South Africa will begin their campaign against Chinese Taipei on 28 November in a must-win encounter.

Banyana’s second fixture is scheduled for 1 December, when they take on Ecuador in another crucial match in the race for qualification.

Their preliminary campaign will conclude against Uzbekistan on 5 December, with all three matches set to be played in Morocco.

The opening phase of the play-offs will feature six participating nations, with each team playing three matches to determine who advances to the next round.

To keep their World Cup dream alive, South Africa must finish among the top two teams in the standings at the end of the preliminary stage.

Should Banyana achieve that objective, they will progress to the final knockout phase in February 2027, where victory would secure a place at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil.