The two nations shared the spoils in an entertaining international friendly at Moses Mabhida Stadium and are set to face each other again in Cape Town on Tuesday as part of their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Christiansen admitted his team encountered exactly the type of challenge they had anticipated, describing Bafana Bafana as a well-structured and dangerous opponent, particularly in transition.
“Well, today (Friday) I saw what I expected from this team. A physical team, a fast team in attack, good transitions, good runs,” Christiansen told the media after the match.
“They found us in the spaces that we wanted to close. But a friendly game or a qualifying game is not the same as a game in the World Cup. So I think we both need to upgrade our level a little bit.”
Despite the positives, the Panama mentor highlighted defensive lapses as an area of concern ahead of the second encounter.
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“I hope, especially in defence, that we are going to change these mistakes that we had. And we will probably also see some other players in action,” Christiansen added.
With another clash looming, Christiansen also pointed to squad rotation as key, citing travel fatigue and the need to manage player fitness.
“We need to try to make the best team or the team that is in the best condition, thinking of not getting injured,” he concluded.