Bafana Bafana will face the ultimate test of their credentials when they clash with world champions France in Lille on Tuesday.
International Friendly
Teams: France v South Africa
Date: 29 March 2022
Venue: Stade Pierre-Mauroy
Time: 21h15
The only meetings in history between the sides were both at World Cups. The first encounter was in 1998 - a match which Le Bleus won 3-0 before going on to be crowned world champions for the first time with a 3-0 victory over Brazil in the final. The second meeting between the sides came in the 2010 global showpiece on South African soil. On that occasion Bafana won 3-1 in the final group stage match so Hugo Broos' will take confidence from that.
France won the 2018 World Cup with a 4-2 victory over Croatia in the final. Nine players in the current squad remain from that Le Bleus squad; namely Hugo Lloris, Alphonse Areola, Raphael Varane, Benjamin Pavard, Presnell Kimpembe, Paul Pogba, N'Golo Kante, Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe.
Who are the 10 highest-ranked African nations in FIFA's rankings? Take a look below:
The current 23-man squad needed a last-minute strike from Aurelien Tchouameni to edge Ivory Coast 2-1 on Friday in their most recent international. Meanwhile, Bafana played to a goalless draw with Guinea also on Friday.
Hugo Broos gave debuts to Mamelodi Sundowns' Khuliso Mudau and Orlando Pirates' Bandile Shandu in that match and the two were probably Bafana's best two players on the day. However, that cannot be said of the attackers, who wasted a whole host of gilt-edged opportunities as Bafana could have won by three or four.
Broos brought on six players at half-time meaning he has given gametime to 17 of the 23-man squad. The Belgian mentor has promised to give everyone a run and has strongly hinted that Sekhukhune United's Nyiko Mobbie will start at right-back and Lyle Lakay at left-back in place of Mudau and Terrence Mashego respectively.
Finally Bongokuhle Hlongwane and Fagrie Lakay are also set for gametime, having been unavailable for the Guinea clash.
The match gets underway at 21h15.
Here's how they line up:
France: Maignan, Saliba, Varane, Kimpembe, Clauss, Rabiot, Kante, Digne, Griezmann, Giroud, Mbappe.
Subs: Areola, Lloris, Kounde, Pogba, Tchoumeni, Coman, Nkunku, Guendouzi, Ben Yedder, Diaby, L. Hernandez, T. Hernandez.
South Africa: Williams, Mobbie, Xulu, Sibisi, Lakay, Mokoena, Mvala, Monare, Hlongwane, Lakay, Foster.
Subs: Bvuma, Mothwa, De Reuck, Makgopa, Dolly, Mosele, Mcaba, Letsoalo, Brooks, Mudau, Mashego, Shandu.
