Bafana Bafana are looking solid as they prepare themselves for AFCON 2019 to be held in the land of the Pharaohs, Egypt.
Indeed, as preparations are geared towards lifting the highly coveted trophy, Ex- bafana bafana defender Matthew Booth has made a bold statement that this year, the South African team will emerge victorious over the likes of Ghana, Nigeria, and Egypt in the competition.
This bold statement comes despite the fact that South Africa has been drawn in one of the most difficult groups; which has the likes of Namibia, Morocco, and Ivory Coast.
“I think this Bafana team has the backbone and character, which I quite like,” said Booth from the sidelines of Castle Africa Fives national finals in Centurion, Gauteng, on Saturday.
“My heart says South Africa and I’ve secretly – well not anymore – put my money on Morocco,” admitted Booth, who was part of Bafana’s 2002 Afcon squad in Mali, but didn’t play.
“I think if we can catch Ivory Coast cold in the first game, it’s very possible [to reach the next stage] and once you do that, then you have momentum going to the knockout stage. I foresee that happening,” he said.
“I reckon we can easily get into the semifinals – that’s the talent that we have. It’s a nice core that has been kept together by Stuart and it has come from the qualifiers.”
Bafana are ranked 14th on the continent and well behind the top five of Senegal, Tunisia, Nigeria, Morocco and the DRC.
Booth, however, insisted that he’s not just bluffing when talking big about Bafana’s chances in Egypt.
Additionally, some of the biggest names in the continent like Ghana have been having spats over issues such as the captaincy.
Indeed, the team had a row over who would captain them to Egypt, before coach Kwese selected Aye over the prolific Gyan.
On the other hand, the likes of Senegal and Egypt have only a few star-studded players in their team; with the likes of the terrific Mane and the deadly Salah leading the attacks respectively.
But what does Nigeria bring to the table?
Apart from the imminent return of the veteran Obi Mikel, Nigeria look like the least favorite to clinch the title despite an amazing performance at the World Cup.
Nevertheless, Bafana Bafana are confident that they can eliminate the top squads in the continent despite being the 14th seeded nation in Africa