South Africa will play a friendly international against Norway in Cape Town on January 8, officials have said.

It will be one of four warm-up game for Bafana Bafana ahead of their hosting of the next African Nations Cup finals.

The team start their preparations after Wednesday’s draw with a home match against Zambia for the Nelson Mandela Challenge. That international against the reigning African champions will be played at Soccer City on November 14.

It will be followed by a game in Durban on December 23 against a top African opponent who are also headed to the Nations Cup – but not one of the sides who will share South Africa’s group.

The team then have a brief holiday break and re-assemble to play against Norway in a match confirmed after the visit to the country by Kjetil Siem, the former chief executive officer of the Premier Soccer League, now the general secretary of the Norway Football Federation.

The last preparatory game will again be against another Nations Cup finalist, set for Gauteng on January 13. The venue will be either the Orlando Stadium, Ellis Park or Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.

The two opponents for Durban and Gauteng will be set tonight after the draw as SAFA officially identify who they want to play and then enter into discussions.