World champions France and Bafana Bafana have announced their starting XIs for tonight’s much anticipated friendly.
The two countries have met twice before in international friendlies, while they have also met twice in official games, both at World Cup tournaments.
In fact the last time France and Bafana met was at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where Bafana pulled off a historic 2-1 win – Bongani Khumalo and Katlego Mphela lead Bafana to a 2-1 win. Florent Malouda scored for France.
It was the only victory for Bafana in those previous four games.
The first time they met was back in 1997, when Stéphane Guivarc’h and Ibrahim Bá scored in a 2-1 win for France after Shaun Bartlett had given Bafana the lead.
A year later they met at the 1998 World Cup in France, and the evenutual winners of tournament, won 3-0. Christophe Dugarry and Thierry Henry were on the scoresheet, scoring on either side of an own goal from Pierre Issa.
In 2000 they met in Johannesburg, and the match ended in a goalless draw.
Here is how they line up today:
France: Maignan – Saliba, Varane, Kimpembe – Clauss, Kanté, Rabiot, Digne – Griezmann – Mbappé, Giroud.
South Africa: Williams; Mobbie, Xulu, Sibisi, Lakay; Monare, Mokoena, Mvala; Hlongwane, Foster, Lakay.
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