BAFANA Bafana's first opponents in their build-up to the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations final has been revealed after Zambia confirmed they would take on Shakes Mashaba's side in a friendly next month.

The match will be played at Orlando Stadium on January 4.

The announcement was made by the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) on Saturday, with South Africa still reportedly chasing another friendly - against Tunisia - before the finals start in Equatorial Guinea on January 17.

Zambia may not quite be the force that claimed the 2012 Afcon finals under Hervé Renard, who has since moved on to coach Ivory Coast, but they will still provide a stern test for Bafana.

Zambia have since appointed home-grown coach Honor Janza.

Like SA, they booked their place in the 2015 finals with a game to spare.

With so many of their squad having turned out in the Premier Soccer League, there will be little mystery between the sides, but Zambia will be looking to extend a fine recent run against Bafana.

SA and Zambia have met 16 times of which Bafana have won just four.

Meanwhile, reports in North Africa say Safa have approached their Tunisian counterparts to name a date for a friendly between the sides.

Mashaba is desperate to meet opposition from the region in the build-up to the tournament with fancied Algeria in their first round pool, along with Senegal and Ghana.

The Tunisians have already scheduled a game with Algeria on January 11, and with their finals tournament opener against Cape Verde a week later, it is difficult to see when a game with Bafana would fit in.