We are expecting South Africa to play like Ghana - Panama coach Thomas Christiansen

Panama coach Thomas Christiansen has stated that he expects to see similarities between South Africa and their 2026 FIFA World Cup opponent, Ghana.

Panama will be hosted by the Bafana Bafana at the Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday, 27 March, before playing against Hugo Broos' side again at the Cape Town Stadium on 31 March.

The Central American side wants to use these fixtures as preparation for their opening World Cup match against African giants Ghana.

"The squad list is almost finalised; there are still a few spots to be confirmed," the Panama coach said at his squad announcement, according to the Panama Football Federation.

"But the objective is to play against an African team — there are quite a lot of similarities with Ghana and what we expect to face against South Africa. That was the aim.

"By playing two matches against them, we can also try out different ideas, positions and players, which is what we want.

"These are the final opportunities, of course, everything is now coming to a close, and the next time we meet will be with the final squad," he added.

Panama will open their 2026 World Cup encounter against Ghana on June 17 at the BMO Field in Toronto.

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