Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams says their focus will not be on PSG star Kylian Mbappe when they play France on Tuesday night but on giving a good account of themselves.
Mbappe missed France’s international friendly against Ivory Coast on Friday due to an ENT infection and looks set to feature against South Africa at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy Stadium in Lille, northern France.
“He’s one of the best players in the world at the moment, but it’s a challenge for us, one that the players are looking forward to.
“We want to give a good account of ourselves. We don’t focus on him; we focus on the whole team.
“We’ll go out there and believe in our qualities. If we stick to our structure, everything should be fine for us,” Williams said during a press conference.
Bafana coach Hugo Broos said the encounter against the reigning world champions was precisely what he asked for a few months ago.
“We’re very happy to be here. It’s a good experience for our young team to play against the world champions. It’s something that I asked for a few months ago – to play against big teams – if you talk about a tough game, it will be a tough game,” Broos said.
Stade Pierre-Mauroy is expected to be packed with at least 50000 fans, and the Belgian mentor believes it will be an experience to relish for his charges.
“South African players are not used to playing in full stadiums [since Covid-19], and there will be 50000 fans at the stadium. It will motivate us,” he added.
For Broos, Tuesday’s result is not necessarily important, but how his players apply themselves against a top team with world-class stars.
“The result is not important, but that is not to say we will not fight for victory; we will try to have a good game a good performance. The most important thing is a good performance.”
Williams said the mood in the camp was one of excitement. Bafana are using the tie to prepare for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers set for June.
