Sunday World (South Africa)

SA may face top French side

Bafana open their tour on March 25 against Guinea

- By Kgomotso Mokoena

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos and the South African Football Associatio­n (SAFA) bosses are confident that world champions France will bring their top-class players when they face SA in an internatio­nal friendly later this month.

France will be defending their Fifa World Cup trophy that they won in 2018 in Russia, at this year’s finals in Qatar.

It could be such an anti-climax if Les Blues do not bring superstars such as Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappe, Karim Benzima, N’golo Kante and Olivier Giroud, to face a young Bafana team that is undergoing a major revamp, since this match is a friendly.

Bafana will open their French tour on March 25 against west Africans Guinea before facing France four days later on the 29th in Lille.

“We are anticipati­ng that they will select and field a strong team,” said Safa CEO Tebogo Motlanthe.

“They will be playing at home, it’s a Fifa calendar week and they are preparing for the World Cup, so this game will come in very handy for their coach and the team’s preparatio­ns.”

Broos expressed delight at facing the French team.

“I am very happy that we will be playing a big friendly internatio­nal against France.

“We are also just waiting to hear who will be our second opponents,” said Broos a fortnight ago.”

 ?? /Gallo Images ?? Hugo Broos hopes France will field a strong team with players like Paul Pogba (in white kit) to SA.
/Gallo Images Hugo Broos hopes France will field a strong team with players like Paul Pogba (in white kit) to SA.

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