Bafana Bafana avoided nemesis Ghana in the draw for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations tournament that will take place in Ivory Coast in June next year.
Admired sports anchor Thomas Mlambo, who made a respectable return to pay channel Supersport after being at the SABC for the past nine years, hosted the draw event.
Bafana, Kaizer Chiefs and Leeds United legend Lucas “Rhoo” Radebe drew the balls and were assisted by former Chelsea and Ivory Coast superstar Salomon Kalou.
South Africa missed out on this year’s spectacular tournament in Cameroon after they finished third behind Ghana and Sudan in their group and then coach Molefi Ntseki was dismissed.
Senegal were the eventual winners after Sadio Mane led the team from the front.
Bafana coach Huge Broos and his players will have interesting competition against Morocco, Liberia and Cosafa neighbours Zimbabwe in Group K.
Bafana were pitted in the same group with Zimbabwe for the 2022 Fifa World Cup and the South Africa grabbed four points from the Warriors – a win away in Harare and a very disappointing 0-0 draw in Durban, a result that played a major role in South Africa losing the group to Ghana in the very last match, after leading from the start.
Zimbabwe, together with Kenya are currently suspended by Fifa, but were included in the draw despite their temporary bans.
As a result, they could not be drawn in the same group. Sao Tome and Principe and Mauritius were also included in the draw awaiting the outcome of a disciplinary procedure.
The first round of qualifiers will be played on the weekend of 30 May and with the return matches two weeks later on 14 June. The tournament will be played from 23 June and conclude on 23 July in Abidjan.
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