Bafana Bafana drew 1-1 with Andorra in a Fifa Series international friendly in Algiers, marking their first outing since their Africa Cup of Nations third-place finish. Bafana coach Hugo Broos fielded a lineup with changes to the side entrusted at Afcon earlier this year. The European side scored first after Ricardo Fernandez beat goalkeeper Ricardo Goss after a fumbled ball in the box. South African Elias Mokwana equalised for Bafana in the 25th minute.
Fifa's pilot series allows nations to play against teams they would not usually play, allowing smaller countries to mix it up with bigger teams. Andorra is ranked 164th in the world, 106 places below Bafana, and has achieved its highest ranking in over a decade thanks to its impressive performance at the recently completed Afcon. Bafana's Afcon exploits also see them back in the top 10 on the African continent.
Bafana coach Hugo Broos aimed for a professional performance from his side as they aimed to climb further up the rankings. He said it was important for Bafana to continue their success in the Afcon and not just climb to number 13 in the Caf rankings.
ANDORRA'S WINNING STREAK
Andorra, the fifth-smallest UEFA country, has struggled with success, winning only 13 matches since 1996. The nation, nicknamed "The Tricolours," is a microstate in the Iberian Peninsula, neighbouring France and Spain. The national team, nicknamed "The Tricolours," has played in 13 games, seven official competitive fixtures, and six friendly matches. Bafana Bafana is set to face European giants Andorra in the newly-established FIFA Friendlies Series. Andorra, nicknamed "The Tricolours," has only won 13 games so far, including a 1-0 win against St. Kitts and Nevis and a 1–0 win against Grenada. The last win was in September 2022, and the nation has gone 13 games without a win, losing 10 of those matches.
