Bafana Bafana go into this encounter against Libya sitting in second position on the log, and eager to top the standings after the match.
Libya on the other hand, may be looking for a draw as this is their away game, but given how well they played in their first match against Seychelles, anything is still possible.
Adel Amrouche's men are deadly upfront, but Bafana have been solid at the back which means whoever dominates the midfield could have the better chance of winning this match.
| Game | Bafana Bafana v Libya |
| Date | Saturday, September 08 |
| Time | 3:00 pm SA Time |
TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch
In South Africa, the game will be shown live on SuperSport 4 and SABC 1. You can also catch live updates on Goal.com .
| Live Match Centre | TV Channel |
|---|---|
| Goal.com | SS4 & SABC 1 |
Squads & Team News
| Position | Missing players |
|---|---|
| Midfielders | Hlompho Kekana, Bongani Zungu (injured) |
| Striker | Lebo Mothiba (injured), Themba Zwane (injured) |
Baxter had deal with a series of withdrawals from the squad he initially selected, but he replaced those with equally capable players to take on Libya.
Hlompho Kekana, Themba Zwane, Bongani Zungu and Lebo Mothiba all had to be excused for this camp, and they were replaced by Aubrey Modiba, Vincent Pule, Tiyani Mabunda and Mxolisi Macuphu.
Apart from losing these four players, Baxter also had to make changes to his technical team, roping in Lee Baxter to work with the goalkeepers following Andre Arendse's unavailability.
This appointment caused an uproar around the country, and it has added to the pressure the 65-year-old mentor already finds himself under.
Potential Bafana XI: Khune, Mphahlele, Hlanti, Hlatshwayo, Mkhwanazi, Mokotjo, Furman, Dolly, Tau, Vilakazi and Grobler.
Libya are confident of beating Bafana and extending their lead at the top of the group.
They haven't reported any injury concerns, which means coach Adel Amrouche have all the players he needed for this encounter at his disposal.
A few players will be key for Libya this afternoon, including goalkeeper Mohamed Nashnush and Ali Musrati among others.
Potential Libya XI: Nashnoush, Abood, Msoud, Aleyat, Khalleefeh, Elnouni, El Gadi, Hasan Ahmed, Zuway, Sabou and Musrati.
Match Preview
This will be the first ever meeting between Bafana Bafana and Libya, which is surprising looking at the number of African teams these two nations have played in the past.
While Bafana are ranked higher than Libya by Fifa, Baxter's men tend to struggle against minnows, especially in competitive matches.
South Africa are ranked 74th in the world with Libya just outside the top 100 in position 101.
Libya however, have been on the rise football wise and they come to South Africa carrying memories of the 2014 Chan tournament which they won in Cape Town.
They last qualified for the Afcon tournament in 2012, but Bafana should be wary of a possible threat this will pose, especially after seeing them beat Guinea in September 2017.
Bafana last qualified for the Afcon in 2015, and having missed out on the previous edition, they will want to go to Cameroon by hook or crook.
