South African coach Molefi Ntseki is warning against relying on his side's breathtaking performance against Egypt in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations ahead of their 2021 opening qualifying match against Ghana on Thursday.
The Bafana Bafana defied odds to beat the highly-fancied host 1-0 to kick them out of the tournament in the summer.
There have been a lot of talk about that spirited performance as they begin the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Ghana at the Cape Coast stadium.
But coach Molefi Ntseki is warning against dwelling on the past performance against the Pharaohs as they play as guest of the four-time African champions.
“[We’ve told our players] we have a plan. Having a plan means we have to achieve something,” Ntseki said on Monday, cautioning against dwelling too long on the pleasant Egypt hangover.
“We can’t always be referring back to what happened in the past. If Tyson [Thulani Hlatshwayo] has to retire in the last two years, or Dean Furman has to retire, they should do so saying ‘I have achieved’.
“Now, it is important that we qualify for Afcon. What is important is to qualify for the World Cup. Going into Afcon anything is possible. If we do things right, if we get the support that we need, if we get the luck we need, we will be able to conquer Africa.”
The two teams will go at each other at the coastal town of Cape Coast on Thursday night.