South Africa

Keen observers of South Africa during this most recent period of international success under Hugo Broos will note a resemblance to the playstyle of Mamelodi Sundowns, South Africa's historically dominant club side and the current CAF Champions League title holders. This is by design, and while Sundowns' representation in the squad is roughly equal to that of rival Premiership side Orlando Pirates, it's Sundowns' players that lend Bafana Bafana their identity on the pitch, particularly the metronomic Teboho Mokoena in midfield, captain & goalkeeper Ronwen Williams and fullback duo of Aubrey Modiba and Khuliso Mudau.

Like Sundowns, Broos' South Africa prefer to play with the ball, building up from the backline with short, high-tempo passes. Their outfield players are spatially adventurous and willing to cover great distances to force overloads in the wide areas and half-spaces. Build-up in the attacking area will often incorporate two of the midfielders and a fullback, coalescing in a 6-man wide forward line with multiple routes through which to supply the runs of forward Lyle Foster. Out of possession, South Africa press aggressively man-to-man to win the ball back high up the pitch. This approach invites the usual structural concerns, but the presence of Mokoena and vertical mobility of the fullbacks help mitigate that risk.