Two days to Kenya, four to the Wanderers, and the Boks in Paris in between. SA sport news Wednesday brings a camp filling up at Milpark, a Springbok side that barely changed, a touring team with a point to prove, one tiny number with a big job and a familiar attacker coming home to work.
1. The Big One: SA sport news Wednesday starts at Milpark, where Bafana’s camp is filling up
Pitso Mosimane took his first session at Milpark Stadium on Monday evening, SAFA reports, and the players from abroad have been landing in waves. Olwethu Makhanya, Luther Singh and Ime Okon were among the first to train, according to the Sowetan. SAFA expected Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Lyle Foster, Puso Dithejane, Relebohile Mofokeng and Sphephelo Sithole on Monday night, with Samukele Kabini to follow.
The odd thing about this week is the opponent. Kenya will be at AFCON 2027 anyway, as co-hosts, CAF confirms, so they have no qualifying place to play for. Mosimane, SAFA reports, still sees a side a bit under pressure at home, and he warns that an emotional team with nothing to lose needs very careful handling. Friday 13 November, Orlando Stadium, 18:00 SAST. Bafana’s qualifying road so far
2. The Matchday Move: 22 of the Turin 23 go again in Paris
Rassie Erasmus has hardly touched the group that ran nine tries past Italy. Wilco Louw moves from the bench to tighthead, Thomas du Toit swaps the other way, and Cobus Reinach is the only new name in the 23, in place of Grant Williams. Eben Etzebeth, in France since Monday, still waits outside it.
Our view: that is a big statement of trust, with Ireland in Dublin the Saturday after. France v South Africa kicks off at the Stade de France on Friday at 22:10 SAST. Our team news has the full side and the reasons behind both changes. The Springbok team for Paris
3. The Talking Point: are Bangladesh still the soft touch we remember?
Bangladesh’s first group left for Johannesburg on Tuesday and the second leaves today, The Daily Star reports. Their record here is grim reading for them: eight Tests in South Africa between 2002 and 2022, eight defeats, five by an innings. Sunday’s first Test will be their first ever at the Wanderers.
Our view: the old jokes are out of date. This is the side that won a Test in Darwin three months ago, and TimesLIVE’s Stuart Hess thinks their seamers can trouble the Proteas. Soft touch or banana skin? Argue it out before Sunday. What the Proteas’ squad says about the selectors
4. The Stat That Matters: 0.79
Zero point seven nine. That is the gap, in percentage points, between New Zealand at the top of the World Test Championship table on 72.22 and the Proteas in second on 71.43, in the ICC’s standings after the 2-1 series win over Australia. Bangladesh sit fifth on 45.83.
Why it matters: the table ranks teams by the share of available points they collect, so two home Tests against the fifth-placed side are a real chance to close that gap. Drop points to Bangladesh, and the climb gets steeper with England still to come. How the WTC points work
5. The One to Watch: Relebohile Mofokeng
Relebohile Mofokeng was among the European-based players SAFA expected in Johannesburg on Monday night, and he comes with a strong memory from this campaign: two goals in the 5-0 win over Eritrea in Cairo. Union Saint-Gilloise signed him from Orlando Pirates in July, when the club described him as 21.
Watch what he does against a Kenya side that has no qualifying place to protect. If Kenya come forward and leave room behind them, that is exactly where a quick, direct attacker can win a match. His double in Cairo
The braai question for Wednesday: Kenya with nothing to lose, or Bangladesh with everything to prove. Which visitor is more dangerous this week? Tell us where you stand.