Bafana Bafana, South Africa’s national team, will be in Abidjan to face Côte d'Ivoire in a FIFA international friendly at Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny on Tuesday.
Hugo Broos’ side are using this window to finalize their preparations for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers and the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in January.
A much-changed Bafana Bafana side drew goalless with Eswatini last Friday and they will face Ivory Coast on Tuesday as both sides round up this October international window.
Arrival at training grounds, #Abidjan #CIV #InternationalFriendlies #CollegeModernedeCocody #BafanaPride pic.twitter.com/26bJ9uzjPZ
— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) October 15, 2023
“I have not been so disappointed since I’ve been here in SA — [Friday] was really bad,” Broos said after the match against Eswatini.
Ahead of the game in Abidjan, the Belgian coach said he wants to see an improved performance from his side.
“I want to see a team with passion, a team with a winning spirit again. We have shown that before and had we shown that again [against Eswatini] we would have won the match without a problem. But there’s nothing that will come easy, even in a game against Eswatini. Every game you have to give 100%,” he concluded.
The Ivory Coast vs Bafana Bafana clash is scheduled for Tuesday, October 17, 2023, and kickoff time is 21:00 (South African Standard Time).
Ivory Coast vs Bafana Bafana match preview
Under the guidance of Broos, Bafana Bafana have continued to grow in strength and it is believed that they have a team that could challenge others at the next AFCON in Ivory Coast.
On the other hand, Ivory Coast, who are hosts of this international friendly, have been playing a series of friendlies in the West African nation to test their facilities ahead of the continental showpiece in January.
Bafana Bafana come into this friendly on the back of a goalless draw with Eswatini at home, while the Elephants also drew 1-1 with Morocco.
Overall, the hosts have lost just once in 2023, winning three and drawing the other two games. It goes to show their solid form ahead of the World Cup qualifiers and the AFCON.
Bafana Bafana have equally been impressive this year as they have remained unbeaten with wins over 2022 World Cup semifinalists Morocco, Liberia, and DR Congo.
Both teams have already known their groups for next year’s AFCON and will be using this match to test their readiness before the continental showpiece.
Ivory Coast are in group A with Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau, while Bafana Bafana have found themselves in group E alongside Tunisia, Mali alongside Namibia.
Expect a solid display from the two teams when the match gets underway on Tuesday evening.
Ivory Coast vs Bafana Bafana H2H
In the head-to-head of Ivory Coast vs Bafana Bafana encounters, they have only met a few times and it has been relatively balanced between them.
Over the last four games, Bafana Bafana have emerged victorious twice, Ivory Coast have also taken a win while the remaining four games ended in stalemates.
The most recent clash on June 24, 2019, ended with Ivory Coast winning 1-0. It was an AFCON clash in Egypt- a tournament Bafana Bafana reached went on to reach the quarterfinals.
Over these matches, Ivory Coast have netted 4 goals, while Bafana Bafana have scored 6. The games between these two sides have often seen a fair share of goals, with three out of the recent four meetings producing more than 1.5 goals.
Where to watch Ivory Coast vs Bafana Bafana
For football fanatics keen to see this match between Ivory Coast vs Bafana Bafana, there is no information as to whether the game will be broadcast on the SABC Sport Channel.
There is also no information about the match on the Supersport website.
This article was most recently revised and updated 11 months ago
