Bafana Bafana will enjoy home-ground advantage in both their fixtures in the upcoming international break, after Sao Tome’s football governing body and the South African Football Association (Safa) entered into a deal earlier in the week.
The two nations meet in two Afcon qualifiers in mid-November, with the first leg taking place at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban on the 13th before locking horns once more just three days later in a fixture initially scheduled to take place in the island nation.
Homeground advantage for Bafana Bafana
However, there has been a change in venue for the second fixture after the São Toméan Football Federation drafted a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) asking Safa to stage both matches.
“The Sao Toméan Football Federation undertakes to play its home game in the territory of Second Party and Safa undertakes to host both home and away matches in its territory,” the MOU reads.
It concludes;
“The two nations agreed that this historic arrangement that has since been relayed to CAF was precipitated by flight restriction within the African continent and health dangers posed by the coronavirus pandemic.”
Bafana Bafana are second behind Ghana in Group C of the Afcon qualifiers with three points after defeat to the log leaders, which was followed by victory against Sudan.
Only the top two teams in each group will qualify for the continental showpiece, which will be held in Cameroon.
South Africa’s remaining Afcon 2021 fixtures
South Africa vs Sao Tome e Principe at Moses Mabhida Stadium on 13 November
Sao Tome e Principe vs South Africa at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on 16 November
South Africa vs Ghana at Lucas Moripe Stadium on 23 March 2021
Sudan vs South Africa in Khartoum on 30 March 2021
