Bafana Bafana will renew their rivalry with Ghana when they host the Black Stars in a final warm-up fixture on Tuesday next week ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals in Morocco.
The South African Football Association have yet to name a venue for the fixture, save to say it will be in Gauteng, and just what Ghana selection shows up is open to debate too.
That is because the west Africans surprisingly failed to qualify for the AFCON, though they are heading to the World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada next year.
But as this fixture falls outside of the international window, they will not have their substantial array of overseas stars to select from, the likes of Thomas Partey, Antoine Semenyo and Mohammed Kudus.
So expect it to be more of a CHAN selection of local players, or others that features in so-called summer leagues that have been completed for 2025 such as Major League Soccer in the United States and Norway.
The teams have met on 15 previous occasions, with Bafana Bafana edging the head-to-head 605 and four draws.
Their last clash was the infamous 2022 World Cup qualifier in Cape Coast when Ghana claimed a 1-0 win via a controversial penalty to win the group and advance to the third round. It is a fixture that still rankles with South Africans.
Here is a quick look back the teams’ 15 previous clashes.
South Africa 2-1 Ghana
Four Nations Cup – 26 November, 1994
Marks Maponyane and Doctor Khumalo (penalty) were on the scoresheet in this victory at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria.
South Africa 3-0 Ghana
Africa Cup of Nations semifinal – 31 January, 1996
A game that will go down as one of Bafana’s best ever performances as they swept aside an excellent Ghana team with a brace from John ‘Shoes’ Moshoeu and another goal from Shaun Bartlett.
South Africa 0-0 Ghana
Four Nations Cup – 21 September, 1996
A goalless draw in a game that was against played in Pretoria in front of a raucous 50,000 crowd.
Ghana 0-1 South Africa
Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal – 6 February, 2000
Bafana stunned co-hosts Ghana with this AFCON quarterfinal win in Kumasi as Siyabonga Nomvethe scored the only goal of the game towards the end of the first half.
South Africa 0-0 Ghana
Africa Cup of Nations finals Group B – 24 January, 2002
A goalless draw in this pool clash at the 2002 AFCON. Both teams advanced from the group at the expense of Morocco and Burkina Faso.
Ghana 3-0 South Africa
World Cup Group Two qualifier – 20 June, 2004
A young Ghana side that would emerge as a power on the continent and shine at the 2006 and 2010 World Cupa brushed Bafana aside in Kumasi to claim their first ever win over South Africa. Sulley Muntari and a brace from Stephen Appiah settled the one-sided contest.
South Africa 0-2 Ghana
World Cup Group Two qualifier – 18 June, 2005
The return fixture in Soweto was equally as comfortable for the Ghanaians, who won via goals from Matthew Amoah and Michael Essien.
South Africa 2-1 Ghana
Friendly international – 15 October, 2008
The first ever friendly international between the teams was won by South Africa thanks to goals from Benni McCarthy and Bernard Parker. The match was played in Bloemfontein.
South Africa 1-0 Ghana
Friendly international – 11 August, 2010
Another friendly played just a month after the 2010 World Cup where hosts South Africa bombed out in the first round and Ghana made the quarterfinals. Katlego Mphela’s goal just before halftime settled this one.
Ghana 2-1 South Africa
Africa Cup of Nations finals Group C – 27 January, 2015
Mandla Masango gave Bafana the lead in this AFCON finals clash but two goals in the final 18 minutes from John Boye and Andre Ayew won it for the Black Stars.
South Africa 1-1 Ghana
Friendly international – 11 October, 2016
Mubarak Wakaso gave Ghana the lead from the penalty spot in this friendly in Durban, but Ayanda Patosi equalised for the home side early in the second period.
Ghana 2-0 South Africa
Africa Cup of Nations Group C qualifier – 14 November, 2019
A comfortable win for Ghana in this AFCON qualifier as goals from Thomas Partey and Mohammed Kudus sealed victory in Cape Coast.
South Africa 1-1 Ghana
Africa Cup of Nations Group C qualifier – 25 March, 2021
The return match finished 1-1 as Kudus again scored for Ghana but Percy Tau equalised two minutes later. Ghana qualified for the finals, Bafana did not.
South Africa 1-0 Ghana
World Cup qualifier Group G – 6 September, 2021
The teams met again in the preliminaries for the 2022 World Cup and Bafana triumphed thanks to Bongokuhle Hlongwane’s winner seven minutes from the end.
Ghana 1-0 South Africa
World Cup qualifier Group G – 14 November, 2021
A game that will live in infamy for the South Africans, who were disgusted at the performance of Senegalese referee Maguette Ndiaye. Andre Ayew’s disputed penalty settled the contest.
