South Africa return to Africa Cup of Nations qualifying action on Friday when they host Kenya at the Orlando Amstel Arena in Johannesburg. South Africa have made an excellent start to their qualifying campaign and will be looking to maintain their perfect record against a Kenyan side coached by former South Africa striker Benni McCarthy. We take a look at the match from a betting angle.
SOUTH AFRICA vs KENYA
Friday, 13 November – 18:00 (SAST)
South Africa lead Group D with six points from their opening two matches, having beaten Guinea 2-1 at home before cruising to a 5-0 victory over Eritrea in Cairo.
Pitso Mosimane’s side followed those results with a 1-0 friendly victory away to Egypt, making it three consecutive wins across all competitions. They have scored eight goals and conceded just once during that sequence.
South Africa have climbed to 48th in the FIFA rankings and will be confident of extending their winning run on home soil.
Mosimane has named a strong squad for the two upcoming matches against Kenya, with Mamelodi Sundowns providing 11 players. Lyle Foster and Relebohile Mofokeng are among the overseas-based players included, while captain Ronwen Williams and midfielder Teboho Mokoena have also been selected despite recent injury concerns.
Kenya have made a less convincing start to their campaign and sit third in Group D with one point from two matches.
The Harambee Stars opened with a 1-1 home draw against Eritrea before suffering a 1-0 away defeat to Guinea. They subsequently played out a goalless draw against Rwanda in a friendly, leaving them without a victory in their last three matches.
Kenya have already qualified automatically for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations as co-hosts alongside Tanzania and Uganda, but McCarthy will be determined to improve his side’s performances ahead of the tournament.
The former South Africa striker will be particularly keen to get a result against his home country, adding an interesting dimension to Friday’s encounter.
Head-to-Head
The two countries have not met regularly in recent years, making current form a more useful guide than their historical results.
South Africa have enjoyed the stronger start to qualifying, while Kenya have struggled for goals, scoring just once in their opening two group matches.
The sides meet again in Nairobi on Tuesday, 17 November, in the return fixture.
Last Leg Bad Luck!
Don’t let one losing leg ruin your accumulator! World Sports Betting’s Last Leg Bad Luck promotion gives qualifying punters the opportunity to claim a refund in Free Bets when the final leg lets them down.
Key terms and conditions:
- Scratched or voided markets do not count towards the leg count.
- Pre-match bets only.
- Free Bets do not count towards this offer.
- Refunds must be claimed within 24 hours of the game finishing.
- Free Bet vouchers must be used within seven days.
Maximum refund per account per day in Free Bets:
- Standard accounts – R5,000
- Black Card members – R7,500
- Super Black Card members – R10,000
Free Bet terms and conditions apply.
To claim, email promotions@wsb.co.za with the subject Last Leg Promo, or present your ticket to your branch manager within 24 hours of the game finishing.
Betting – Click here to bet
South Africa 1.26
Draw 5.25
Kenya 12.00
Verdict
South Africa have made an impressive start under Mosimane and should have too much quality for a Kenyan side that has struggled in front of goal.
South Africa have scored seven goals in their opening two qualifiers and kept clean sheets in their last two outings across all competitions. Kenya have managed just one goal in their last three matches, and I fancy the hosts to win without conceding but the price is a bit short for my liking at 1.67.
I am rather going to back South Africa to win by 2 goals or more.
BET: Asian Handicap South Africa -1.5 at 1.87
Note: All prices are correct at the time of writing but are subject to change.
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