Hugo Broos coach of South Africa
Thursday Oct 12, 2023. 11:35
South Africa will go head to head with their neighbors, Eswatini in an international friendly match at the FNB Stadium on Friday.
Kick-off is at 6:00 pm CAT.
Bafana Bafana secured a 1-0 win over DR Congo in a friendly match played in Soweto on September 12 and they are undefeated in their last three matches across all competitions.
Hugo Broos’ side is also undefeated in the last three competitive matches and they are using the game against Eswatini as preparation for next month’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Benin and Rwanda.
“First we have Eswatini, we thought this was the best preparation for the November qualifiers. These should be teams playing the same way,” Broos said.
“They (Rwanda and Benin) will not be teams trying to win, they will be trying not to lose, so … it is good preparation. The Ivory Coast is a totally different match. It is more (geared) towards the Afcon,
“We are playing a strong team and they are in their home environment. It will be like being in the Afcon with a full stadium, a fantastic atmosphere against a good team. So I am very happy with the two opponents.”
Meanwhile, Eswatini managed to hold Burkina Faso to a 0-0 draw in the 2023 AFCON qualifier played in Morocco on September 8 and they are winless in their last two matches across all competitions.
Sihlangu Semnikati, who are winless in their last four away competitive matches, are set to square off with Libya and Cape Verde in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers next month.
South Africa and Eswatini will meet for the 10th time across all competitions.
Bafana have the upper hand having won eight matches and drawn once against Sihlangu Semnikati.
Their last meeting ended in a 2-1 win in favour of South Africa in a COSAFA Cup match played in Durban on 11 July.