Bafana bring up milestone with home clash against Ghana

Bafana Bafana will reach a significant milestone on Thursday when they host Ghana in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at FNB Stadium, a match that will be their 200th home international.

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The previous 199 games have resulted in 105 wins, 57 draws and 37 defeats, with 270 goals scored and 142 conceded.

Their first international was a 1-0 win over Cameroon on a rainy night in Durban on July 7, 1992 as Doctor Khumalo scored from a generously awarded penalty with eight minutes remaining.

The next 29 years have seen them play 393 matches in all (W171 D115 L107) across friendlies, qualifiers and finals tournaments, though 2020 was comfortably their least active with only four fixtures played due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Bafana’s 50th home game was a 2-1 win over Liberia when Shaun Bartlett and Phil Masinga netted second-half goals on Reconciliation Day in 2000.

The 100th was a narrow 1-0 success over Zambia in 2009 as Teko Modise grabbed the only goal in a friendly win that was achieved with thoughts very much on the looming FIFA Confederations Cup and the World Cup that followed.

It was also a fifth win in succession for the side in a run that also included victories over Ghana and Cameroon, but was ended the next match by a 2-0 home loss to Chile.

Match number 150 came as South Africa hosted the 2014 African Nations Championship and ended in a 1-1 group stage draw with Mali, Bernard Parker on the scoresheet.

Bafana will hope for at least a draw against Ghana on Thursday in their 200th game, but realistically their hopes of reaching the Nations Cup finals rest on getting a point in Sudan on Sunday, no matter what happens against the Black Stars.