Bafana look to put Eswatini to the sword

South Africa will go head-to-head with their neighbours, Eswatini in an international friendly match at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on Friday.

Kick-off is at 6:00 pm CAT.

CURRENT FORM

Bafana Bafana secured a 1-0 win over DR Congo in a friendly match played in Soweto, Johannesburg on 12 September and they are undefeated in their last three matches across all competitions.

South Africa are 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 Benini and Rwanda.

Meanwhile, Eswatini managed to hold Burkina Faso to a 0-0 draw in the 2023 Afcon qualifier played in Morocco on 8 September, 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.

TEAM NEWS

South Africa will be without their star forward Percy Tau who withdrew from the current squad due to family reasons while team captain Ronwen Wiliams is currently nursing an injury in the camp.

Eswatini, on the other hand, have named a youth squad that will face Bafana and the squad includes 25-year-old forward Justice Figuareido who is on the books of Richards Bay.

WHAT WAS SAID?

South Africa head coach Hugo Broos

“First, we have Eswatini, we thought this was the best preparation for the November qualifiers. These should be teams playing the same way," Broos told the media.

"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, and a fantastic atmosphere against a good team. So, I am very happy with the two opponents.”

Eswatini head coach Dominic Kunene

“The list of players is not to say that the others involved in the league will not be looked at going into the match against SA," Kunene said on Times of Swaziland.

"We believe in all emaSwati that they can do the job when called in the national team and trust that the players will make the country proud next month."

HEAD-TO-HEAD

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.