South Africa vs Ghana Preview: Kick-off time, TV channel, squad news

South Africa will be keen to pick up their first set of maximum points in the 2022 Fifa World Cup qualifiers when they host Ghana in a Group G match at FNB Stadium on Monday.

Three days after opening their qualifying campaign with a 0-0 draw away in Zimbabwe, Bafana Bafana are eager for a win, and victory for Hugo Broos' men will see them claim top spot in this group.

South Africa have an opportunity of going to the Matchday 3 while in control of this pool if they win and Zimbabwe drop points in Ethiopia.

Ghana are currently leaders in this group after edging Ethiopia 1-0 in their campaign opener.

TV Channel, Live Score & How To Watch

Squads & Team News

Bafana Bafana were lucky to return home from Harare with no injury concerns but Broos could effect some tactical changes to correct the shortcomings identified from their away draw.

A natural right-back, Nyiko Mobbie struggled playing as a left-back against Zimbabwe and that could see Kaizer Chiefs' Sibusiso Mabiliso replacing him. Bongokuhle Hlongwane could also start in place of Gift Links, whom he replaced in the last match.

For a second game running, South Africa will be facing hugely depleted opponents after coming up against a Zimbabwe side without key players.

The Black Stars arrived in South Africa without the Crystal Palace duo of Jordan Ayew and Jeffrey Schlupp, Leicester City's Daniel Armartey as well as the Reading pair of Abdul Rahman Baba and Andrew Yiadom.

All these England-based players featured against Ethiopia but were barred from travelling to South Africa which is on the UK Covid-19 red list.

Arsenal's Thomas Partey is out injured and even if he was fit, he would still not have made it to Johannesburg due to the travel restrictions.

Ajax attacker Mohammed Kudus is also out with injury while Stade Rennes' Kamaldeen Suleymana and Germany-based Daniel Kyereh were not allowed to make the trip to South Africa by their clubs.

In total, the Ghana squad in Johannesburg is without nine key players who would have had the potential to have a huge say in this game.

Match Preview

Ghana are back in South Africa six months after they held Bafana Bafana to a 1-1 draw in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the same venue.

It was a result that contributed to Bafana failing to reach next year's Afcon finals and that makes them bent on revenge.

Despite bringing a depleted side to Johannesburg, the Black Stars will be at FNB where they upset South Africa 2-0 in 2005 on their way to a maiden appearance at the 2006 World Cup tournament.

That's the only time Bafana have been defeated by Ghana at home, with the other meetings between the two countries in South Africa ending in the hosts winning three times, while four games ended in draws.

In total, Monday's match will be the 15th clash between these two sides since 1994.

No side has dominated the other as each has beaten the other four times while recording six draws and 24 goals have been witnessed in those meetings.

They have previously met twice in World Cup qualifiers with Ghana emerging victorious on both occasions.