On Friday, South Africa kicked off their campaign with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against defending champions Algeria. That result puts them fourth in the group, although some teams have played more matches.

On Match Day One of the CHAN tournament, Guinea managed a 1-0 win over Niger, but they were then beaten 3-0 by co-hosts Uganda in their second game on Friday.

Keagan Dolly. Photo: Bafana Bafana

For South Africa, a win on Monday is non-negotiable if they want to keep their playoff hopes alive. Still, the point earned against the Desert Foxes was a positive, especially with matches against Niger and Uganda still to come.

Experienced Bafana midfielder Keagan Dolly said the team has taken confidence from their draw against Algeria, and that nerves will be calmer going into their second match.

“We had a good game against Algeria – it was the first match and, as the coach said, we wanted to break the ice,” said Dolly.

“It’s helped boost our confidence. Now it’s all about focusing on ourselves, preparing for each game, and treating every match like a final,” he added.

“We know Monday’s game won’t be easy. We’ve done our homework off the field, and for us it’s about sticking to our structure, sticking to what we want to achieve as a team, and going out there to perform. We take each game as it comes, and on Monday, we’re focusing fully on Guinea.”

Coach Molefi Ntseki said they know what to expect from their opponents and that their defence will need to be on point.

Bafana Bafana. Photo: SAFA

“We’re going into this game fully aware that Guinea is a very attacking side,” said Ntseki.

“They have some very good individual players who can hurt you if you give them the chance. We always show respect to our opponents and focus on those key players when planning how we want to play both offensively and defensively.”

Monday’s match at the Mandela National Stadium in Kampala is set to kick off at 16:00.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cvs