South Africa will take on Czechia on Thursday in Georgia in their opening Round 2 fixture at the FIFA World Cup, with both teams still searching for their first point in Group A.
Bafana Bafana enter the match under pressure following a difficult run of results. In recent international friendlies, South Africa failed to find consistency, drawing 1-1 with Panama, losing 2-1 in the return fixture, and playing out a goalless draw against Nicaragua before another 1-1 stalemate with Jamaica.
Their struggles have continued into the tournament, where they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Mexico in their opening group match, leaving them in urgent need of a positive result to revive their campaign.
Team news for South Africa
Head coach Hugo Broos faces significant selection headaches ahead of the clash, with two key midfielders—Sphephelo “Yaya” Sithole and Themba Zwane—both suspended after red cards against Mexico.
Their absence is expected to force tactical changes, with Broos likely to abandon his usual five-man defence in favour of a more attacking 4-3-3 setup.
Thalente Mbatha is expected to anchor the midfield, while young attackers Oswin Appollis and Relebohile Mofokeng are tipped to start on the wings, adding pace and creativity in the final third.
There is some relief for South Africa, however, as left-back Aubrey Modiba has recovered from a minor injury and is available for selection after missing training earlier in the week.
Bafana Bafana will be hoping the reshaped squad can deliver a stronger performance as they look to get their World Cup campaign back on track.