South Africa’s Head Coach, Ephraim ‘Shakes’ Mashaba, has warned his Nigerian counterpart, Stephen Keshi, that he must ‘brace himself for war’ ahead of their 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying clash in Cape Town Wednesday.
The Group A clash will see a confident Bafana take on nemesis Super Eagles who are currently wounded by their 3-2 opening weekend defeat to Congo-Brazzaville in Calabar.
The Bafana Bafana are brimming with confidence following their 3-0 win in Khartoum on Friday, but will face a different challenge all together from the Eagles that landed in South Africa yesterday morning.
Keshi’s men famously won the 2013 African Cup of Nations in South Africa while the West Africans trounced Bafana 3-1 in the 2014 CHAN tournament at the very stadium where the two rivals will meet on Wednesday.
“This Nigeria team has been giving us nightmares, but we will fight in every game,” said Mashaba.
“When two Elephants meet, it is grass that suffers. Watch out, brace yourself for war that day (when Mashaba meets Keshi), because, like I have indicated earlier on, they (Nigeria), have given us sleepless nights.”
Mashaba, who took over from Gordon Igesund in July, feels a win on Wednesday would change a lot of things football in South Africa for the better.
“This is one time they must brace themselves for war up to the fullest, it won’t be an easy walk in the park for both teams, but what we are looking for is to come out victorious and that win will change a lot of things in our football, both in administration, media wise, any structure that you talk about,” Mashaba added.
“We win that game (and) things will change for the better.”
Meanwhile, the reigning African champions landed in the rainbow city of Cape Town, South Africa, ahead of tomorrow’s all important AFCON 2015 qualifier against host Bafana Bafana.
The team made up of 21 players, technical officials and backroom staff was led into South Africa by NFF, Director of Technical, Dr Emmanuel Ikpeme. The delegation flew into Johannesburg from Lagos in a South Africa Airways plane. The flight from Lagos lasted six hours before it took another flight to Cape Town for the duel.
Among the 22 players that prosecuted the ill-fated game against Congo Brazzaville, only Elkanemi FC goalkeeper, David Obiazor, did not make the trip.
Keshi decided to keep faith with the same squad and the team had its first training session for the match at 8pm local time, which is 7pm Nigerian time.
Keshi who did not travel with the team on Sunday night due to pressing personal issues is to link up with the rest of the squad this morning.
In the absence of the head coach Daniel Amokachi, handled Monday work-out. The team is quartered at the serene Southern Sun hotel on the outskirts of Cape Town. Agency report
