South Africa vs Rwanda Preview – Match Preview
South Africa are second in their World Cup qualifying group before the last match. They must win this game to keep their hopes of reaching the World Cup alive.
Earlier, their 2-0 win against Lesotho in March 2025 was changed to a 3-0 loss because they used a suspended player. They later beat Benin 2-0 away and then played in CHAN and COSAFA Cup games.
In September, South Africa defeated Lesotho 3-0 and drew 1-1 at home against Nigeria. Last Saturday, they were held to a 0-0 draw by Zimbabwe in Durban, even though Zimbabwe played with ten men for the last 26 minutes.
Rwanda have managed just one win in their last seven matches. They are already out of the World Cup race but will try to spoil South Africa’s qualification chances.
In June, Rwanda lost both friendlies against Algeria 2-0. They were beaten 1-0 away by Nigeria in September’s qualifier. After winning 1-0 against Zimbabwe, they lost 1-0 at home to Benin last Friday, conceding in the 82nd minute.
Match Details
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Match | South Africa vs Rwanda |
| Competition | FIFA World Cup Qualifiers |
| Date (Today) | 14 Oct 2025 |
| Kick-off | 9:30 PM IST ( 16:00 UTC) |
| Venue | Mbombela Stadium |
| City | Nelspruit, South Africa |
Head-to-Head Stats
| Match Player | South Africa Win | Rwanda Win | Draw |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
South Africa vs Rwanda – last 5 head-to-head encounters
| Date | Competition | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Nov 2023 | FIFA World Cup Qualifiers | Rwanda | 2-0 Rwanda won | South Africa |
South Africa – last 5 Matches
| Date | Competition | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Oct 2025 | WC Qualifiers (CAF) | Zimbabwe | 0-0 | South Africa |
| 10 Sep 2025 | WC Qualifiers (CAF) | South Africa | 1-1 | Nigeria |
| 06 Sep 2025 | WC Qualifiers (CAF) | Lesotho | 0-3 (loss for Lesotho) | South Africa |
| 19 Aug 2025 | African Nations Championship (CHAN) | South Africa | 3-3 | Uganda |
| 16 Aug 2025 | African Nations Championship (CHAN) | Niger | 0-0 | South Africa |
Rwanda – last 5 Matches
| Date | Competition | Home | Score | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Oct 2025 | WC Qualifiers (CAF) | Rwanda | 0-1 | Benin |
| 09 Sep 2025 | WC Qualifiers (CAF) | Zimbabwe | 0-1 | Rwanda |
| 07 Sep 2025 | WC Qualifiers (CAF) | Nigeria | 1-0 | Rwanda |
| 10 Jun 2025 | International Friendly | Algeria | 2-0 | Rwanda |
| 06 Jun 2025 | International Friendly | Algeria | 2-0 | Rwanda |
South Africa vs Rwanda Team Comparison
| Team | Pos | Played | W-D-L | Points | Goals Scored | Goals Conceded | Goal Difference | Form (Last 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 2 | 9 | 4-3-2 | 15 | 12 | 9 | +3 | D, D, W, D, D |
| Rwanda | 5 | 9 | 3-2-4 | 11 | 5 | 6 | −1 | L, W, L, L, L |
South Africa vs Rwanda: Team strengths vs risks
| Team | Strengths | Risks / Weaknesses |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa | • Strong home record – play confidently in front of home fans. • Good defensive organisation and disciplined midfield. • Can control possession and build steady attacks. • Motivated — must win to keep World Cup hopes alive. | • Under pressure to win — may cause nervous mistakes. • Sometimes slow in breaking tight, defensive teams. • Missed chances in recent matches (0-0 vs Zimbabwe shows finishing issue). • Past points deduction affected morale. |
| Rwanda | • Compact and hardworking defence; difficult to break down. • Disciplined team shape, good teamwork and energy. • Dangerous from set pieces and counters. • No pressure — can play freely and spoil opponent’s plans. | • Struggle to score — only 5 goals in 9 qualifiers. • Weak away form; rarely win outside home. • Lack of attacking depth and creativity. • Confidence low after recent defeats. |
South Africa vs Rwanda Team News & Lineup
South Africa (4-3-3):
Ronwen Williams; Khuliso Mudau, Mbekezeli Mbokazi, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Aubrey Modiba; Teboho Mokoena, Yaya Sithole, Sipho Mbule; Mohau Nkota, Oswin Appollis, Lyle Foster
Team news:
South Africa’s key striker Lyle Foster is injured and ruled out of today’s match against Rwanda.
Rwanda (4-3-3):
Fiacre Ntwari; Thierry Manzi, Ange Mutsinzi, Bonheur Mugisha, Claude Niyomugabo; Phanuel Kavita, Djihad Bizimana, Kévin Muhire; Jojea Kwizera, Gilbert Mugisha, Innocent Nshuti
Team news:
Rwanda’s winger Joy-Lance Mickels is injured and ruled out of the match against South Africa, replaced by Olivier Mbonyumwami.
South Africa vs Rwanda Match Prediction
I think South Africa will win this match without conceding any goal.
| Market Result + BTTS | Pick | Why | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Match Result + BTTS | South Africa Win & BTTS: No | South Africa are stronger at home and need a win; Rwanda struggle to score away. | ★★★★☆ |
| Clean Sheet | South Africa clean sheet – Yes | Rwanda’s attack has been poor lately, scoring just twice in seven matches. | ★★★★☆ |
| HT/FT | Draw / South Africa | Rwanda may defend well early, but South Africa’s quality should show in the second half. | ★★★☆☆ |
| Total Goals (safer) | Under 2.5 | Both sides have been involved in low-scoring games recently. | ★★★★☆ |
| Exact Margin (long shot) | South Africa by 1 goal (1-0) | Tight match expected, with South Africa likely to edge it narrowly. | ★★★☆☆ |
