South Africa will lock horns with Mali in the 2019 Nelson Mandela Challenge on Sunday afternoon.
Bafana Bafana will return to action for the first time since they were eliminated from the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) quarter-finals three months ago.
New Bafana head coach Molefi Ntseki will be taking charge of his first match and his first task is to ensure the trophy remains in the country.
They will take on a Mali side which was active in the previous Fifa break as they drew 1-1 with Saudi Arabia in an international friendly last month.
The Eagles, who are under the guidance of Mohamed Magassouba, will be making their maiden appearance in the Nelson Mandela Challenge.
| Game | South Africa vs Mali |
| Date | Sunday, October 13 |
| Time | 3:00 pm SA Time |
TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch
The game will be live on SABC 1.
| Online Streaming | TV Channel |
|---|---|
| N/A | SABC1 |
Squad & Team News
South Africa's camp has been hit by injuries as Bongani Zungu, Percy Tau and Thamsanqa Mkhize are set to miss the clash with the Eagles.
Former South Africa under-17 head coach Ntseki will now pin Bafana's hopes of securing a win on Bradley Grobler, who has been in top form for SuperSport United this season.
Meanwhile, Magassouba did not include Mali's star striker Moussa Marega of FC Porto in the squad which will face South Africa.
However, the experienced tactician is expected to unleash Austria-based marksman Sekou Koita as Mali look to become the first visitors to defeat Bafana in the Nelson Mandela Challenge since Nigeria in 2013.
Match Preview
South Africa will be under pressure to return to winning ways having lost to Nigeria in their last match which was the 2019 Afcon quarter-final clash.Bafana were held to a 1-1 draw by Paraguay in their last home match which was last year's Nelson Mandela Challenge clash, excluding the Cosafa Cup matches and African Nations Championship (Chan) qualifiers.
On the other hand, Mali are winless in their last two matches having lost to Ivory Coast in the 2019 Afcon quarter-final match before drawing with Saudi Arabia.
The 1-1 stalemate against Saudi Arabia remains their last match on the road and they will be looking to bounce back to winning ways.
In head-to-head stats, South Africa and Mali have met three times.
Mali have recorded one win against South Africa, while two matches ended in a draw.
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