Head Coach for the South African senior national team, Stuart Baxter has revealed that his side is not amongst the favorites to lift this year’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament.
All is set for the biggest tournament on the continent to start in Egypt on Friday, June 21, 2019. It has been expanded from 16 to 24 for the first time in the history of the tournament.
The Bafana Bafana has qualified and will battle the rest of Africa in a bid to win the prestigious trophy. In line with that, the team has been making the necessary preparations for what will be a difficult assignment.
The team engaged the Black Stars of Ghana over the weekend in a friendly game that ended a goalless draw. Asked whether he agrees South Africa is one of the favorites to lift the trophy this year, Coach Stuart Baxter responded, “No not at all. This is a team in reconstruction. This is a team that is okay. Again tonight we didn't lose and we haven't lost for about a year and a half so that's encouraging”.
“But to call us one of the favorites will be ridiculous”.
He added, “I think you have got Cameroon. You have got Nigeria, you have got Egypt, you have got Ghana, and you have got Ivory Coast, Morocco who all will feel that they have got a better chance than us”.
Despite the admission, Coach Stuart Baxter is not ruling out the possibility of conquering Africa with the Bafana Bafana and has indicated that the team needs to keep improving and take advantage of any opportunity that comes their way.
“So what we need to do is we need to improve, keep improving to make sure we play our game with confidence and we don't show an exaggerated respect for everybody”.
“We have to go out there believing that have a chance to win. And you never know, you win a few games and suddenly the whole thing leads its own life. And so even though you are not favorites it doesn't mean you cannot have a chance to win it”, he said.
Ahead of the 2019 AFCON, South Africa has been drawn in Group F where they are expected to play Namibia, Ivory Coast, and Morocco.