PREVIEW: Bafana face Eswatini with Cosafa Cup semifinal berth on the line

South Africa will face Eswatini in their final Cosafa Cup Group A match at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Tuesday afternoon – with a place in the semifinals on the line. Kick-off is at 3pm CAT, live on SUPERSPORT.

The tournament hosts have stuttered thus far, recording 1-1 and 0-0 draws against Mozambique and Botswana thus far.

Bafana share the spoils with Botswana in the COSAFA Cup
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— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) June 29, 2024

Fortunately for Bafana Bafana, the other Group A matches involving Sihlangu Semnikati have also ended in stalemates (0-0 against both Botswana and Mozambique), leaving all four teams level on two points.

A win is therefore highly likely to secure progression to the semifinals of the Cosafa Cup, either as Group A winners or as the best of three runners-up – though confirmation of that will depend on results elsewhere, especially the concurrent match at the Wolfson Stadium between the Mambas and the Zebras.

Sharpening the attack will be the primary focus for SA coach Helman Mkhalele: “We did control the possession [against Botswana] but I still believe much of it was in our own half. We were not really a threat, especially with the combinations trying to enter the final third.

"We didn't go in there with aggression, we were more sloppy because everything was slow. We were not really making those runs to support [Thabang] Sibanyoni, who was doing quite well in terms of winning the aerial balls.

"We were late in joining him or anticipating the second ball. [We're] Going back to the drawing board again because now with our next game against Eswatini we have to make sure that we win to increase our chances of proceeding to the next round.

"What we lacked [against Botswana] - those passes and movements, those runs between and behind their defensive lines, especially the entries for the final third - if we can increase those entries I still believe we have more qualities to score or take those opportunities.”

In head-to-head stats, South Africa and Eswatini have met in 10 matches, dating back as far as 2000. Bafana Bafana boast an unbeaten record, with eight wins and two draws.

The teams last met in an international friendly in Johannesburg in October 2023 which ended in a goalless stalemate.