Bafana Bafana will reap benefits stretching beyond money following their impressive AFCON campaign with the third place to play for on Saturday.
Bafana will meet DR Congo in the bronze medal match at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, which is where Orlando Pirates lifted the 1995 CAF Champions League title.
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The third-place game might have a dead rubber feel for some considering that the ultimate prize was to play in the final on Sunday, but it still carries weight.
For Bafana, beyond having already secured USD2,5 million (approx. R47,33 million for their efforts, there will still be more to play for.
The senior national team has a proud record of having lost just once in seven meetings against DRC.
Bafana won the two qualifiers for the 1998 World Cup and then won after extra-time in the semi-finals of the 1998 AFCON tournament in Burkina Faso.
It was another win for Bafana in a Group B match at the 2000 AFCON with the DR Congo only then recording their only win during the 2006 World Cup qualifiers.
The last two matches were a draw and a win for Bafana.
Beyond playing for pride, Bafana will have rankings in mind as the drive to break into the top 50 continues.
Bafana currently sit on position 66 but will move 10 places up the ladder with victory over DR Congo.
With what they have already done at the AFCON, Bafana are hanging around position 61 having already moved up five places.
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When Hugo Broos took over from Molefi Ntseki, Bafana were 75th.
FIFA will release the latest official rankings on February 15.
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