[ 2015-01-27 ]

South Africa-Ghana Preview: A must win for Bafana Bafana
Even if Ephraim Mashaba's men pick up all three
points, they require Senegal to beat Algeria in
Group C's other encounter to ensure they progress

Ephraim Mashaba is holding on to the hope that
South Africa can qualify for the knockout stages
of the Africa Cup of Nations when they take on
Ghana on Tuesday.

Defeat to Algeria and a draw with Senegal means
the 1996 champions must overcome Avram Grant's men
to have any chance of staying in the competition.
However, even then they require a favour from
Senegal, who would need to beat Algeria in the
other Group C match to ensure South Africa's
progression.

"We are still in with a chance," Bafana Bafana
coach Mashaba said after his side's 1-1 draw with
Senegal.

"It was a good outing for us, we still have
another game to play, don't rule us out, anything
can happen. Football has its own miracles and I
think our boys did very well in this tournament.
With one game to go, we are still going to
surprise a lot of people."

Captain Dean Furman was also keen to rally the
troops ahead of South Africa's final group match.

"We take a lot of confidence from the way we have
played in these two matches, even if we have not
got the results we hoped for," the midfielder
said.

"We just have to hope that a win in our last game
will be enough for us to go through."

Ghana have specialised in late drama in their
first two games, though in the opening fixture
against Senegal it was a script with an unhappy
ending.

The Black Stars went ahead through Andre Ayew's
early penalty, but Senegal fought back and took
the three points thanks to Moussa Sow's
last-minute strike which followed Mame Biram
Diouf's leveller.

Ghana, who have reached at least the semi-finals
of the last four Acon tournaments, delivered a
late twist of their own last time out, as Asamoah
Gyan scored a stoppage-time winner against
Algeria.

Speaking after that triumph, a relieved Grant
warned his side that there was still work to be
done.

The former Chelsea boss said: "Nothing has been
decided yet in this group.

"Yes, we may have beaten the number one team in
Africa, but we now face South Africa, who
qualified for this tournament ahead of a big team
like Nigeria.

"They played very well in their first game even
though they eventually lost to Algeria. They are a
fantastic team.

"We are a young team who have shown we do not give
up and so we will come into any game to win it."

Source - Goal.com

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