The SA U17 men’s national team is all fired up as they prepare for their final Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) Group B clash against Nigeria at the Stade Mohamed-Hamlaoui on Saturday evening.
It will be a crucial encounter for both Amajimbos and the Golden Eaglets, as it will determine which team will progress to the knockout stages of the tournament.
The last time the two sides met was in 2015 at the Africa U-17 Championship, South Africa won 1-0 in the semi-finals of the competition.
Coach Duncan Crowie did admit that the encounter will not be easy, and they will not focus on what’s happening in other groups for their fate but will look to do the job against Nigeria.
“To a certain degree we are ready as far as our game against Nigeria is concerned,” Crowie said.
“Yes, we still have one final training session and a video session before training to give the players an idea of what Nigeria is all about, their strong points and where we can hurt them.
“We have seen Nigeria play and they are a quality team, we know a wounded animal is dangerous [Nigeria lost to Morocco] but I am looking forward to a good game.”
Midfielder Gomolemo Kekana who has started both games at the Afcon, also believes it will be a good game and the players mentality is the same in terms of approaching the game.
“I could say that we have prepared well for the game, and we are in the right frame of mind,” Kekana said.
“We thank the coaches for how they have prepared us and showed us the mistakes we made, and we just need to keep working hard and play our football.”
Both teams are tied on three points, with South Africa currently third on the group while Nigeria is second with a better goal difference.
Kick-off time is at 9pm.
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