South Sudan v South Africa Preview: Bafana Looks To Bounce Back

Bafana Stutter On MatchDay 1

Bafana Bafana will be looking to bounce back from a Bafana Bafana v Uganda – AFCON Qualifiers (bet.co.za) qualifier on Tuesday night. Hugo Broos’ side needed a late goal from Thalente Mbatha to save their blushes and escape with a 2-2 draw in injury time. The result was not disastrous (a defeat would have been), but it was also not the ideal start. Indeed, it could serve as a wake-up call to the AFCON semi-finalists not to take any team for granted.

2-2 – The 2-2 draw with Uganda is the same result as their opening home qualifier in the previous qualifying tournament (also 2-2 v Liberia on MD2 for AFCON2023)

Bafana went on to successfully qualify for that tournament.

Bafana Away From Home

While the draw was less than ideal, it still helped maintain an incredible 17-year record for Bafana Bafana in home AFCON qualifiers. One has to go back exactly 17 years (9 September 2007) for the last time Bafana lost an AFCON qualifier at home. Between that time, they have won seven and drawn 11 such games at home. They lost at home to Nigeria in 2008, but that was primarily a World Cup qualifier (which doubled as an AFCON qualifier). However, the bigger tests usually come in away games on the continent where geographical and pitch conditions often cause problems for traveling teams. Despite that, Bafana are pretty decent in away games in AFCON qualifiers.

50% – Bafana have won seven of their last 14 away games in AFCON qualifiers, drawing four and losing the other three.

Selection Options

The delayed start to the Premier League season has meant that a lot of players are still not match-fit. One of the key positions where match fitness posed questions last week was the goalkeeper position, where Yachine Trophy nominee Ronwen Williams was unavailable due to injury. In his place, Veli Mothwa started but he was at fault, particularly for the second goal. Sipho Chaine could come in immediately given his positive start to the season, while Ricardo Goss is also an option. Yet, Hugo Broos trusts Veli Mothwa and could also decide to give him a second chance on Tuesday.

Form And History

This will be the first-ever meeting between the two sides, so there is no head-to-head record. Bafana has previously played Sudan, but not South Sudan as we know it today after their 2011 secession. South Sudan broke away from Sudan in 2011, and so has been a full FIFA member only for the last 12 years.

They are currently ranked 169 in the world (47th in Africa out of 53 teams). If that is anything to go by, this should be a straightforward win for Bafana, who are also favored by form. The South Sudanese have not won an international game in 12 months (P7 W0 D5 L2 since winning a friendly in September last year).

Bafana, meanwhile, has been riding the crest of a wave under Broos. The ranking timeline below shows how Bafana has consistently gone up the rankings in his three years in charge. Currently, they are a Top 10 African nation ahead of Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Guinea.

57th in the world is Bafana’s highest ranking since Broos took over, and the last time they ranked higher was in March 2015 (55th). Rankings aside, nothing less than a victory will do for Bafana on Tuesday, as that could complicate an otherwise clear route to the finals.