South Africa will have a true test of their abilities when they tackle North African heavyweights Algeria in an International Friendly at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers on Tuesday night.
Bafana Bafana training at the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algiers, Algeria, on Monday. Coach Hugo Broos' charges face hosts Algeria at this venue in a FIFA series match on Tuesday night. pic.twitter.com/Haf9NL8Rew
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) March 25, 2024
Catch the action live on SuperSport at 11pm CAT (SA, GMT+2).
- This will be the fifth meeting between Algeria and South Africa.
- Algeria are currently ranked 43rd by Fifa and 7th in Africa, while South Africa are currently ranked 58th by Fifa and 10th in Africa.
- Over the previous four meetings between the teams each team has a single win while their have been two draws.
- This is the first meeting between the teams in Algeria. Three of the sides previous four meetings have been at the Africa Cup of Nations in 1996, 2000 and 2015.
- The teams only other friendly was on the 12th January 2012 at Orlando Stadium in Johannesburg the game ended 0-0.
- The first meeting between the teams came in the Quarterfinal stages of the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations, at Soccer City in Johannesburg. Bafana Bafana won 2-1 with Mark Fish handing them a 74th minute lead, Tarek Lazizi equalized in the 84th minute for Algeria. John ‘Shoes’ Moshoeu scored a minute later to hand South Africa victory.
- During their 1996 Afcon clash Doctor Khumalo would fail to convert a penalty in the game for South Africa.
- The sides met again at the in Group B at the 2000 Afcon in their final group game, at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi Ghana. Shaun Bartlett Put South Africa ahead after two minutes, Fawzi Moussouni levelled in the 53rd minute for Algeria as both teams progressed to the knockout rounds ahead of the DR Congo and Gabon.
- The third Afcon clash between the teams took place at the 2015 finals in their opening game in Group C, Bafana Bafana took the lead through Thuso Phala on 51 minutes. Thulani Hlatshwayo would score an own goal on 67 minutes to level scores, Fawzi Ghoulam would put Algeria in front in the 72nd minute and Islam Slimani would score a third in the 83rd minute to hand Algeria a 3-1 win. This game taking place in Mongomo in Equatorial Guinea.
- During the sides 2015 Afcon clash Tokelo Rantie would miss a penalty in the game with Bafana Bafana leading 1-0 at the time.
- At the 2015 Afcon Algeria would progress from the group as runners up to Ghana, while South Africa would finish bottom of the group behind Senegal.
- Algeria are the fourth North African team that Bafana Bafana would face in their own country, they have previously played against Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco in their own countries. During the 2019 Afcon Qualifiers South Africa’s away game against Libya was played in neutral Tunisia.
- Previously when facing North African countries on their own territory South Africa’s record reads P8 W3 D2 L3.
- South Africa when playing against North African countries on their own territory have managed three wins two of those against Egypt 2-1 in a 2006 friendly game and 1-0 in a 2019 Afcon last 16 encounter. Their other win was a 2-0 friendly win over Tunisia in 2004.
- South Africa away against North African teams on their own territory have lost three games, against Egypt in a friendly game on 15th November 2003 going down 2-1, they also lost 2-0 to Tunisia on 19th November 2003 also a friendly game and most recently after taking the lead away to Morocco in a 2023 Afcon Qualifier they lost 2-1 on the 9th June 2022.
- Overall this is South Africa’s 36th game against a North African opponent their record against teams from North Africa with games decided on penalties regarded as a draw reads P35 W16 D8 L11.
- In games played in North Africa this will be South Africa’s 19th game this includes games at the 2004, 2006 and 2019 Afcon Finals.
- When playing games in North Africa Bafana Bafana’s record reads P18 W6 D3 L9.
- With Hugo Broos as their coach Bafana Bafana will be taking on a North African opponent for the fifth time, three of their previous games were against Morocco in 2023 Afcon Qualifying as well as at the 2023 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in a last 16 encounter. They also faced Tunisia in the group stages of the 2023 edition of the Afcon.
- With Hugo Broos as their coach Bafana Bafana’s record against North African opponents reads P4 W2 D1 L1.
Against North African opponents with Hugo Broos as their coach Bafana lost away and won at home both games ending 2-1 against Morocco in 2023 Afcon Qualifying, while they defeated Morocco 2-0 at the 2023 edition of the Afcon in a last 16 game.
- Their other game against North African opponents was against Tunisia at the Group Stage of the 2023 edition of Afcon Finals, the game ended 0-0.
- South Africa have kept successive clean-sheets in their last two games against North Africa opponents, they drew 0-0 with Tunisia in their final group game at the 2023 edition of the Afcon and defeated Morocco in their next game at the finals 2-0 in the round of 16.
- Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic who was appointed as their coach replacing Djamel Belmadi at the end of February will face an African nation as the head coach of a senior men’s national team for the first time.
- Petkovic a Bosnian born mentor who was head coach of the Switzerland national team from August 2014 to July 2021, did not face any African opponents in 78 games at the helm of the Swiss.
Tonight, Bafana Bafana will be back in action as they take on Algeria in their second FIFA Series friendly.
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) March 26, 2024
Who would you like to see in the starting XI tonight? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/IBOwZmSDyB