South Africa vs DR Congo Preview, Prediction, and Top Betting Choices
South Africa squares off against DR Congo in the African Cup of Nations third-place playoff on Saturday, a rematch of their September 2023 friendly won by South Africa 1-0. The Leopards were defeated by hosts, Ivory Coast, while Bafana Bafana lost to Nigeria on penalties in the semi-final.
South Africa Form
Hugo Broos' team scored late to secure a 2-0 victory over Morocco in the round of 16 following a missed penalty by their opponents. Goalkeeper Ronwen Williams' heroics sealed a win on penalties against Cape Verde in the quarter-final after a 0-0 draw in regular time and extra time, only to be defeated by Nigeria on penalties in the semi-finals.
South Africa Team News
Injured winger Thapelo Maseko will be missed, and Siyanda Xulu, who started in the back, could feature again in Grant Kekana's absence, suspended after accumulating yellow cards. Thapelo Morena is pushing for a spot on the right. Coach Broos may consider some lineup tweaks for this match.
South Africa Motivation
The Bafana Bafana team has been disciplined and steady throughout the tournament but has not prioritized possession dominance. They'll be eager to win this match and end their Cup of Nations campaign on a positive note. An more attacking style may be implemented.
DR Congo Form
Making their mark at the AFCON, DR Congo, who only won once in seven games before the tournament, drew all three of their group games. Their dominant 1-1 draw against Zambia (25 shots and 2.54 Expected Goals) was followed by a 1-1 draw against Morocco and a 0-0 stalemate vs Tanzania. They drew after extra time in the last 16 against Egypt (1-1) before securing a win on penalties. Their AFCON run ended with a 1-0 loss to Ivory Coast.
DR Congo Team News
Coach Sebastien Desabre may make some lineup changes for this clash. Dylan Batubinsika could start in the back four, and Gael Kakuta, who returned from injury to play 45 minutes against Cote d'Ivoire, may not feature. Forward Simon Banza and Fiston Mayele could both earn starting opportunities.
DR Congo Motivation
DR Congo will aim to finish third in this tournament, taking this match very seriously. This fixture is not expected to be dull, as neither side will eagerly contest another extra-time marathon or penalty shootout.
Key Stats
- South Africa have kept clean sheets in 4 of their last 5 matches
- Only one team has scored against South Africa in 7 of their last 8 games
- South Africa's last 15 AFCON matches have seen them score more than 1 goal only twice
- DR Congo have lost 3 of their last 5 games against South Africa
- DR Congo have won only 2 of their last 13 games
- DR Congo have drawn 4 of their 6 games in this AFCON
If a third-place playoff between South Africa and DR Congo was hypothetically to take place, South Africa, due to their strong record against the Congolese, could be expected to come out on top. However, the actual outcome of the African Cup of Nations third-place playoff featured Nigeria versus Egypt.
In light of their previous encounters, South Africa might be predicted to secure a victory against DR Congo in the third-place playoff, given their strong record against the Leopards. The South African team, eager to end their African Cup of Nations campaign on a high note, may implement an more attacking style in the match. Despite DR Congo's surprising performances in the tournament thus far, they aim to finish third, making for an anticipated and potentially tense fixture. However, the actual fixture for the third-place playoff was between Nigeria and Egypt, not South Africa and DR Congo.
