It’s going to be difficult against Tunisia – Zwane

South Africa star Themba Zwane believes that Bafana Bafana cannot afford to take their foot off the pedal for their final Group E match against Tunisia, set for the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium in Korhogo on the early evening of Wednesday 24 January 2024. Kick-off is at 19h00 CAT.

Current form

South Africa followed their Afcon opening 2-0 defeat at the hands of Mali with an impressive 4-0 destruction of Namibia on Sunday night, with Percy Tau, Themba Zwane (two) and Thapelo Maseko all finding the back of the net. Prior to that, Bafana had recorded a 0-0 draw with Lesotho in a pre-tournament friendly.

Tunisia followed their Afcon opening 1-0 defeat at the hands of Namibia with a 1-1 draw against Mali on Saturday night, leaving them in need of a win to have a chance of progressing to the knockout phase. Prior to that, the Eagles of Carthage had beaten Cape Verde 2-0 in a pre-tournament friendly.

Team news

Neither side has any reported injury issues, with South Africa particularly likely to stick the same starting XI that did duty against Namibia, while Tunisia may opt to include Sayfallah Itaief from the start to give them extra legs in midfield.

What was said

“We know that it is not over yet. It’s going to be a difficult one against Tunisia. We are going to analyse them properly and come with a plan. We know that we definitely need to win in order to qualify [guarantee qualification],” said Themba Zwane.

“They were very physical, and our players got some knocks but that did not stop us, and we continued working hard. Getting a point against Mali is very important and such a tough match is good for us ahead of the final group match,” said Tunisia coach Jalel Kadri.

Players to watch

South Africa: Themba Zwane took the plaudits against Namibia, but Teboho Mokoena was equally outstanding deep in midfield, providing a superb passing range in possession and covering an enormous amount of ground out of it.

Tunisia: Hamza Rafia scored Tunisia’s goal against Mali and will provide one of the keenest threats to South Africa’s defence when the teams meet on Wednesday evening.

Head-to-head

In head-to-head stats, South Africa and Tunisia have met in six previous matches. Both Bafana Bafana and the Eagles of Carthage have recorded three victories, with zero games drawn. The teams’ most recent meeting was in the group stage of the 2008 Afcon, with Tunisia claiming a 3-1 triumph in Tamale, Ghana.