South Africans will this November get yet another opportunity to see Spain in action after the South African Football Association (SAFA) announced that they have secured a high-profile international friendly match with the reigning World Champions and double European champions on November 19.
The match will be played at FNB Stadium and will form part of Spain’s preparations for the 2014 World Cup.
This will be Spain’s first trip back to Johannesburg since their maiden World Cup triumph in 2010 where they beat Netherlands in the final played at FNB Stadium.
The Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) on Thursday confirmed their participation in the match.
“The RFEF wishes to demonstrate its gratitude for the wonderful hospitality of the South African sports authorities and the support of the country’s football fans during the 2010 South Africa World Cup,” the federation said on the national team’s official website.
“This will be the last match of 2013 and it will take place just a few days before the RFEF has to return the World Cup … to FIFA,” they added.
New SAFA President, Dr Danny Jordaan also confirmed the fixture which is hoped to reinspire local fans to follow the South African national team during a year with no competitive games.
“It is the new SAFA executive’s mission to make Bafana Bafana world-beaters again and we have lined up top-class sides to play our senior national team. We could not have asked for a better start of this campaign than with the game against the reigning FIFA World Cup champions,” said Dr Jordaan who’s determined to place South African football back on the world map.
Bafana failed to reach Brazil 2014, and coach Gordon Igesund’s vision is to work towards the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
“It is a dream come true for many soccer fans to once again see the likes of Iniesta and Xavi in action at the venue where they made history by lifting their first World Cup trophy. This is going to be a block-buster of a game,” added Dr Jordaan.
Spain sealed their place in Brazil with wins over Belarus and Georgia earlier this month which ensured that they finished top of Group I ahead of France and will be one of the eight seeded sides for the draw on December 6.
For Bafana, this will present coach Gordon Igesund with an opportunity to continue building after missing the cut for the 2014 World Cup.
This will be the third time these countries will be battling it out and its no secret that Bafana Bafana would want to revenge the losses of the last two meetings were they lost 2-0 and 3-2 in Johannesburg and Rustenburg respectively.
The SA national team is also set to entertain world cup hosts Brazil in yet another international friendly match at FNB stadium in March next year.
Prior to the Brazil match, Bafana will host the 2014 African Nations Championship (Chan), a tournament for players plying their trade on African soil.
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