Written by The Caretaker Coach for @Hollywoodbets. Follow them both on Twitter and Facebook now!
South Africa vs Congo | Wednesday 15 October | Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane | 20:05
There weren’t many football fanatics that could’ve predicted the dominant performance put in by Bafana Bafana last Saturday evening in Pointe-Noire. Congo have concocted two noteworthy performances thus far in Group A, so to be shut out and lose 2-0 at home to a young South African setup came as a surprise to both sets of fans. They face each other in a rematch on Wednesday night at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane. Let’s take a closer look at the clash.
To Win (90mins)
South Africa 6/10
Draw 11/4
Congo 43/10
South Africa
Two wins and a draw has boosted Shakes Mashaba’s reputation in South African football circles from promising replacement to the hook on which the nation hangs its hopes. We’ve always been a country quick to crown or crucify Bafana Bafana head coaches, but Shakes’ rise in popularity has been more rapid than ever. With the threat of Ebola jeopardising the chances of AFCON 2015 going ahead, it will be all too ironic if this outbreak causes ill-fate to Bra Shakes’ tenure at the top. The last time Bafana lost an international was the 5-0 football lesson handed to them in March against Brazil. A tour to Australasia saw two draws, and they’re unbeaten in AFCON qualifying thus far. You’d still be wary of writing off the Congolese after Saturday’s loss, but Mashaba’s use of youth over experience seems to have paid off. Starting players like 17-year-old Rivaldo Coetzee shows his trust in the talent coming through the ranks, and making use of internationally based players like Tokelo Rantie and Thulani Serero displays the diversity he is willing to work with. Consequently it was Rantie that put the game to bed on the weekend, after Bongani Ndudula’s sublime overhead kick opened the scoring for Bafana.
Congo
Congo were the log leaders before their loss to South Africa on Saturday, and it’s safe to say coach Claude Le Roy will be livid with the way his charges seemingly rolled over and let their visitors assert themselves for the vast majority of the ninety minutes on the artificial grass surface in Pointe-Noire. Having coached some formidable African national sides like Cameroon and Ghana previously, there’s no doubt his stint as Congo’s sergeant major has been a successful one thus far. Not many sides can concede two goals away to Nigeria and still come away with a win, and that performance at the beginning of September in Calabar certainly put them on the watchlist. They still look good to go through to the next round, after Nigeria crashed to a 1-0 defeat to Sudan. After the first round of games, they possibly only need to beat Sudan again to go through, and with Nigerian football in tatters it seems Group A has become a whole lot easier for them and Bafana.
VERDICT: Under 2.5 Goals 13/20
Congo may be second guessing themselves after losing at home on the weekend, and Bafana have the chance to continue the reign as the only unbeaten side left in Group A. Bafana will be back on home turf, and hopefully the Pietersburg faithful will come out in their numbers to support the boys. Bafana are odds on favourites to pick up the three points in this one. I’m suggesting two bets in this fixture. The first is a sneaky 0-0 correct score at 77/10. I foresee a much cagier affair this time out, with Bafana not wanting to let it slip at home. They may come under fire from a Congo out to seek revenge. My second bet for the evening, and the more confident one, is an Under 2.5 Goals punt. Don’t be surprised to see a stalemate here, and this is the best way to account for the potentially tense clash.
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