Bafana Bafana will face Zimbabwe in a Group A encounter and will be desperate for a win after suffering a 1–0 defeat to Mozambique on Wednesday afternoon in the tournament’s opening match.

Zimbabwe, in turn, were held to a 0–0 draw by Mauritius, earning both teams a point and placing them ahead of South Africa in the Group A standings.

It’s a must-win game for Bafana Bafana if they are to keep their hopes of reaching the semi-finals alive.

After spending some extra time on the training ground, coach Vela Khumalo is confident that his side will show improvement on Saturday.

“Look, the preparations went well and we’ve made a few changes, but that’s not because we’re under pressure,” said Khumalo.

“No, it’s not about that. This is also about coach Hugo Broos having the opportunity to assess some of the players he wanted to see in action at this tournament, with a view to the Bafana Bafana senior team.

Vela Khumalo. Photo: Morgan Piek

“I think everything is going well so far. We just need to win the game tomorrow so that we’re in a good position. If we can get a result against Zimbabwe, we’ll be happy to push on and hope that other results go our way so we can reach the semi-finals.

“But honestly, I think things are looking good. I still believe we have a strong team with a lot of talent. Let’s see how far we can go in this tournament.”

On Saturday, Mozambique take on Mauritius at 12:00 at the Toyota Stadium, followed by Bafana Bafana’s clash with the Warriors of Zimbabwe at 15:00.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg