On the back of their recent success at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, Hugo Broos' Bafana Bafana are now set to take on a European side in March. KickOff's Lukhanyo Mtuta takes a closer look at their next opponents, Andorra.
The South African national team will be eager to build on their bronze-medal finish at AFCON 2023 when international football resumes next month, with Hugo Broos' side having since broken into the CAF's 10 highest-ranked teams, according to the latest rankings by FIFA.
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The next task on their hands is Andorra. They are set to face off against the European minnows on 21 March, and it is reported that the match will take place at the 19 May 1956 Stadium in Algeria. With Bafana's last meeting with a team from Europe having ended in an embarrassing 5-0 defeat to then-world champions France in March 2022, Andorra is a hugely different prospect for them.
The match falls part of the FIFA Series, which are friendly fixtures that will be contested by national teams from different confederations who don't normally have the chance to compete with each other.
Andorra are ranked 164th on the latest FIFA rankings and have never broken into the top 100 nations in their history. With a population of less than 80 000 people, the small nation is landlocked between France and Spain, and their history in men's international football only dates back to 1996, when they played their first official match, according to UEFA.
The nation holds several unwanted records too, having conceded seven goals in a match on three occasions, including a 7-0 defeat to Portugal in 2020. Their heaviest defeat was an 8-1 loss to Czech Republic back in 2005. According to Transfermarkt, Andorra have won only 13 official matches in their history, with their biggest victory being a 3-0 triumph over one of the other lowest-ranked sides int he world, San Marino, in 2021.
In theory, Bafana should expect a relatively easy game when the two sides meet. Broos' side climbed up to 58th in the world rankings this month, signalling a jump of eight places.
Earlier in February, South Africa's Belgian head coach made it known that he and his coaching staff plan on giving new players a chance in the upcoming international break.
"There will be new players in the two friendlies in March. I don't think it will be 10 players but there are some positions in the team that require more attention than others," he said, according to radio station OFM.
"For example, on the right side there is no problem and we don't have to look for another right-back. There are some positions we have to look at.
"I have already spoken with assistant coach Helman Mkhalele and when we are back in South Africa, we will try to look for new players who will be invited for camp in March.
"Let's hope we find players who can help us in the next games for the World Cup qualifiers."
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