With Bafana Bafana set to face Algeria on Tuesday night, Hugo Broos' men will have to contend with several of the North African giants' dangermen. Here's who South Africa should be wary of!
The South African national team are looking to bounce back from their 1-1 draw with Andorra, who are ranked 164th in the world by FIFA, last week. The result certainly didn't make for good reading for Bafana, especially on the back of their momentous third-place finish at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in February.
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In recent times, Algeria have seemed a weakened team, having been embarrassingly eliminated from the group stage of the most recent AFCON. This led then-manager Djamel Belmadi to step down from his role immediately after their elimination, and he has since been replaced by Vladimir Petkovic, who managed Switzerland between 2014 and 2021.
Bafana now face a reinvigorated Desert Foxes side that will look to three key players to influence the game in their favour.
Yacine Brahimi
The veteran winger recently made his return to the national team under new boss Petkovic after being out of the team since 2022. Notably, he was named captain of the side for their most recent game against Bolivia, during which he registered an assist to help his side to a 3-2 victory over the South Americans. It appears that it is his prolific club form that prompted his return to the Desert Foxes fold, having registered 18 goals and eight assists in just 16 games for Al-Gharafa in the Qatar top flight so far in this campaign. His wealth of experience could also prove valuable against Bafana as he looks to add to his 14 goals and 12 assists in 67 appearances for his country.
Rayan Ait-Nouri
The 22-year-old has been one of Wolverhampton Wanderers' most consistent players this term, registering 29 appearances in all competitions at left-back. His inspired performances saw him linked with a move to Chelsea in January, and more recently, TEAMtalk claims that Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has recommended him to the club as a potential new left-back signing. Furthermore, his ability as an attacking fullback is said to have also piqued the interest of Manchester United, although it's noted that their move for him would entirely depend on player sales at Old Trafford. His potency going forward could prove decisive for Algeria against South Africa!
Houssem Aouar
It feels like it was ages ago when Aouar was one of the hottest properties in Europe, having previously been considered a top target for Arsenal. Since then, though, the silky playmaker has changed allegiance from France to Algeria, for whom he was given his international debut in June 2023. Aouar has contributed three goals in seven starts in Serie A for AS Roma this season, and the 25-year-old ranks in the top percentile for touches and progressive passes among midfielders in Europe's top five leagues, according to FBref. Furthermore, he also ranks highly in terms of progressive carries and successful take-ons, so Bafana will definitely need to be wary of him!
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