South Africa faces Panama in Cape Town – Start time, squad updates, viewing options
Following Friday’s 1-1 stalemate in Durban, South Africa and Panama are set to meet again in another international friendly on Tuesday, this time at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town.
Yoel Bárcenas opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, but Oswin Appollis equalized just four minutes into the second half. Appollis earned the Man of the Match accolade for his outstanding overall display.
Appollis, along with his Orlando Pirates teammate Tshepang Moremi, executed excellent plays down the wings, supported by the fullback pairing of Khuliso Mudau and Aubrey Modiba from Mamelodi Sundowns.
Nonetheless, Mudau was partly responsible for the Bárcenas goal, as his errant pass to Sphephelo Sithole resulted in a loss of possession. Additionally, Moremi squandered a scoring opportunity in the 34th minute, contributing to the hosts’ missed chances.
In essence, South Africa resumed their performance from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), where they were eliminated in the round of 16 by Cameroon. Hugo Broos’ squad continues to demonstrate significant potential, yet they also exhibited a tendency to hinder their own progress at times.
Broos remarked after the match: “I believe everyone can agree that we played well. We controlled the game against Panama for 90 minutes and only made two errors throughout the match.”
“For their goal, we should have cleared the ball into the stands, but we aimed to play it nicely. I informed the players at halftime that there is nothing wrong with clearing the ball when under pressure.”
Tuesday presents a chance to deliver a more polished performance in front of a full stadium, which provided strong support during their previous visit to Cape Town: a 3-0 victory over South Sudan in AFCON qualifying in November 2024.
Key details
Date: Tuesday, March 31 at 19:30 CAT (17:30 GMT)
Venue: DHL Stadium, Cape Town
How to watch: The match will be broadcast live on SABC
Team news
Hugo Broos opted to rest Minnesota United’s Bongokuhle Hlongwane and Chicago Fire’s Mbekezeli Mbokazi following their lengthy travels, but the MLS pair is expected to have sufficient time on the field to make an impact on Tuesday.
Mbokazi typically plays as a starter at center-back, while Broos is likely to assess his options on the wings, with Hlongwane expected to play wide and also capable of operating in a forward position.
However, Broos indicated that there would not be significant alterations in a typically straightforward manner. “No, there will not be many changes, not at all, and I understand that the Sundowns players have a demanding schedule in the coming weeks, but that is not my concern. I must prepare for the World Cup,” he stated.
Expected lineups
South Africa
GK Ronwen Williams
LB Samukele Kabini | CB Mbekezeli Mbokazi | CB Khulumani Ndamane | RB Khuliso Mudau
CM Thalente Mbatha | CM Teboho Mokoena
LW Oswin Appollis | AM Relebohile Mofokeng | RW Bongokuhle Hlongwane
ST Lyle Foster
Panama
GK Orlando Mosquera
LWB Éric Davis | CB Jiovany Ramos | CB José Cordoba | CB Martín Krug | RWB Amir Murillo
CM Carlos Harvey | CM Aníbal Godoy
LW César Yanis | ST Cecilio Waterman | RW Yoel Bárcenas
Stats
South Africa controlled 64% of possession on Friday and recorded 1.85 xG compared to Panama’s 0.23, according to Flashscore.
Oswin Appollis has contributed 2 goals and 2 assists in his last 4 matches for Orlando Pirates and South Africa combined.
