Bafana
Bafana captain Bongani Khumalo and his deputy Itumeleng Khune have welcomed the
fact that South Africa will face Mali in the quarter-finals of the Orange
Africa Cup of Nations Cup South Africa 2013 at the Durban cauldron of Moses
Mabhida Stadium on 2 February.
The
match kicks off at 20h30.
But
they have also cautioned against complacency adding it won’t be an easy day in
the office.
Mali
drew 1-1 with DR Congo to finish second in Group B and secure their last eight
spot.
South
Africa booked their place in the last eight following a dramatic encounter
against Morocco on Sunday, 27 January that ended in a 2-2 draw.
The
result eliminated Morocco and Angola in the competition.
“Being
in the quarter-finals is never easy and it gets more difficult because everyone
wants to be in the last four. Regardless of who we would have come up against,
our main objective is to proceed to the next round. Mali are a very useful side
but we are now motivated and we will give it our all,” said Bafana Bafana
captain Bongani Khumalo.
His
words were echoed by vice captain, goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune who was Man of
the Match during the Morocco game.
“I
think it’s going to be a great game because Mali is a very good side. For us we
now have to take one game at a time. We know it’s not going to be easy and we
cannot afford to take Mali lightly. They did well to get this far and they are
a dangerous side, so we have to work harder to win the game and proceed to the
next stage,” said Khune.
“We
are done with the Morocco game and we now have to turn our focus to the
quarter-finals but at this moment, we are hungry to achieve more. We now have a
lot of confidence after coming out of the group stages especially after the
character we showed in the last game,” added Khune.
The
match is sold out and this is good news for Bafana Bafana.
“It’s brilliant, it also highlights the
incredible support we have had and everybody wants to come and watch us
whenever we play and that is just great. We are very grateful for their support
and hopefully they will give us the boost we need on Saturday. And playing in
front a big crowd like the one we saw against Morocco is as a positive sign
that we are doing something right, because in any case pressure is there in
every game we play.
This
is a very special game which is now a sell-out just like the past match and our
supporters will work as the 12th player as usual,” said Khumalo.
“It’s
going to be a great game, and having to stay in Durban will play a major role
because it is always an advantage to us,” said Khune.
In
the other semi-final, to be played early on Saturday in Port Elizabeth, Group B
leaders Ghana will play against Cape Verde Islands who ended second in Group A.
The
match kicks off at 17h00 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.
