Bafana break new ground in South Sudan

South Sudan will become the 49th African country that South Africa have played against when the two meet for the first time in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Juba on Tuesday.

Bafana now have only four African countries that they have never previously met – Djibouti, Eritrea, Somalia and Togo.

South Sudan, who only joined the Fifa ranks in 2012, are Africa’s youngest country and have won only two previous competitive internationals.

Bafana Bafana conducted their final training session in South Africa on Saturday afternoon before their departure to South Sudan tonight. #BafanaPride#AFCONqualifer pic.twitter.com/5XpxHkhLsM

— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) September 7, 2024

It will be Bafana’s 351st meeting with an African opponent since their first game in 1992 against Cameroon.

They have won 173 times, drawn 108 and lost 69 against other African teams, with the highlight being their win in the 1996 Cup of Nations finals.

Zambia have been their most frequent opponent with 24 past meetings while Botswana are the country that Bafana have beaten the most with 14 wins in 20 clashes. They have also scored the most goals against the Zebras – a total of 31.

Nigeria have been the toughest opponents for Bafana, who have conceded 26 goals in 17 matches against the Super Eagles and winning only twice in 17 past clashes, with the most recent encounter between the two sides being June’s 1-1 away draw in the World Cup qualifiers.

Of the 48 African countries that Bafana have previously played, they are unbeaten against 18 of them. But there are only three teams they have never beaten – Guinea, with one draw and two defeats; Mauritania with a home draw and away loss and Rwanda, who they have met only once in the World Cup qualifiers last November, where they suffered an embarrassing 0-2 reversal.