Angola brace for Bafana AFCON test in COSAFA derby

In the mixed zone interviews yesterday, Hugo Broos’ side received glowing praise from their Angolan counterparts ahead of this COSAFA heavyweight clash.

The two regional giants meet at the Marrakesh Stadium tonight at 18:00 (17:00 SA time).

Angolan centre-back Jonathan Buatu says Bafana Bafana possess plenty of quality...

Buatu, who was born in Belgium and came through the ranks at Standard Liège, with spells at Genk and Fulham in England, believes South Africa’s biggest strength lies in their collective approach and clear playing identity.

"They have a big and talented collective, with really fast players in front. They play as a team and have not lost in two years, so they have a strong mentality, but we will compete and aim for the three points." 

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Another Belgian-born player in the Angolan camp is Olympique Lyon right-back Clinton Mata.

He too rates Bafana Bafana highly, describing them as a strong, ball-playing side, and expects a tight but entertaining contest tonight.

"South Africa is a very good team, but we are prepared and it will be a very interesting game."

The Palancas Negras are coached by Patrice Beaumelle, an AFCON-winning assistant coach who worked alongside Hervé Renard during Zambia’s 2012 triumph and Ivory Coast’s 2015 success - says that the wealth of experience on the Angolan bench could play a key role in a game of fine margins.