It is the moment of truth for Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos and his troops, as they are now two days away from getting the ball rolling and beginning their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) voyage against west African side Mali on Tuesday night.
Bafana have returned to the prestigious inland competition after missing out on the previous edition, that saw Senegal claiming the continental bragging rights as champions.
Broos, who certainly knows a thing or two about winning the Afcon, having won it with Cameroon back in 2017, will be setting his sight on trying to make history and guide South Africa to glory once again.
Broos is probably the happiest man now that his trusted warrior Mothobi Mvala is with him in camp after being cleared by the medical team to travel to Ivory Coast with the rest of the squad.
The trick for Bafana will now be settling and adapting to the conditions in Ivory Coast.
Sunday World looks at some of the components that will be key for Bafana Bafana in their quest for Afcon glory:
Which city will Bafana Bafana be based in?
The city of Korhogo, in the northern region of Ivory Coast. Bafana will be exchanging blows against all their Group E opponents at the meticulously newly constructed Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium.
Bafana to draw inspiration from 1996 golden generation
That team delivered the first and only Afcon trophy for South Africa. Since that historic moment, the furthest Bafana have gone in the Afcon is the quarterfinals dating back in 2000, 2002 and 2013.
Feeling the full support from back home crucial for Bafana
To be fair, Bafana have punched below their weight for way too long and disappointed the nation on many big occasions.
However, this new crop of players under the tenure of Broos has been convincing and showed that they can step up whenever they are up against the big boys.
