How Bafana can make World Cup history against South Korea
Bafana Bafana faces a challenging World Cup match against South Korea, where a victory is crucial for their first-ever knockout round qualification, despite having only a slim chance of winning and key player Teboho Mokoena suspended. Picture: Khaled DESOUKI / AFP
Image: Khaled DESOUKI / AFP
With their Fifa World Cup fate on the line, Bafana Bafana will head into their final Group A clash against South Korea knowing that a victory would all but secure their place in the knockout rounds for the first time in their history.
Kick-off is at 3am SA time.
A draw in Guadeloupe may still be enough to send South Africa through as one of the tournament’s eight best third-placed finishers, but that would likely mean an anxious wait until Saturday when the group stage concludes.
Instead, Bafana are expected to go all out for the win, even though the odds appear stacked against them.
Bafana’s Slim Victory Chance Against South Korea: Key Players and Strategies
According to the statistics, Bafana have just an 18% chance of victory. There is a 25% chance of a draw, while South Korea are clear favourites, with their chances of winning sitting at 57%.
There is also the question of who will take the field for Bafana.
Midfield maestro Teboho Mokoena is suspended and will be forced to watch from the sidelines. Sphephelo Sithole is expected to be tasked with filling the void left by Mokoena, and it will be a significant responsibility on the young midfielder’s shoulders.
Further forward, the match could well be decided in attack, where 21-year-old Relebohile Mofokeng is expected to play a pivotal role in what will be the biggest game of his career so far.
The exciting youngster will be eager to show why he is regarded as one of South Africa’s brightest talents, and a standout performance on football’s biggest stage could do wonders for his long-term future in the game.
Meanwhile, Son Heung-min remains South Korea’s biggest star. The winger has spent the last decade with Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League and is widely regarded as one of Asia’s finest footballers.
He is likely to pose the greatest attacking threat to Bafana. South Korea’s quick transitions and counter-attacks often revolve around Son’s pace, movement and finishing ability.
Keeping him quiet could be Bafana’s single biggest task if they are to create history and book their place in the World Cup knockout rounds.
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