The Panama national team began its concentration in South African territory with the arrival of the first called-up players, led by defender Michael Amir Murillo, at the start of a key week in preparation for the next FIFA World Cup 2026. The arrival of the national team was progressive in the city of Durban, venue for the first friendly match against South Africa, within the current FIFA window. The second match will be played on March 31 at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town, starting at 12:30 p.m. Panamanian time. Meanwhile, the South African squad remains training in Pretoria, in Johannesburg, and is scheduled to travel to Durban next Thursday to finalize details before the first encounter. The first match will be played on March 27 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban, starting at 7:00 p.m. local time (12:00 p.m. in Panama). Murillo was one of the first to arrive along with goalkeepers Orlando Mosquera and Luis Mejía, as well as forward Cecilio Waterman, who formed the initial group that presented itself since last weekend alongside the technical team led by Thomas Christiansen. This Monday, five new footballers joined the concentration hotel: defenders Roderick Miller, José Córdoba and Eric Davis, as well as midfielders Cristian Martínez and Yoel Bárcenas, thus expanding the base of available players in the first days of work. The group already in Durban held its first session under the supervision of physical trainer Christian Beguery and physiotherapist Juan Carlos Andrión. The session consisted of a gym workout of approximately one hour, divided into two groups, focused mainly on physical recovery after long trips. The technical team's planning contemplates a staggered arrival of the rest of the called-up players. For this Tuesday, the arrival of 11 additional players is expected, which would raise the number of footballers to 20 available, on the eve of the first training session on the field. This practice is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. local time (11:00 a.m. in Panama) at the Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium, a facility that was already used as a training venue during the 2010 World Cup. For Wednesday, the national team plans to have the full 23-man squad, thus completing its preparation for the upcoming international matches. Panama will face South Africa in two away friendly matches.
