Bafana Bafana coach Stuart Baxter says he and his team holds no fear over facing Nigeria’s Super Eagles in Saturday’s 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the FNB Stadium Johannesburg.
Baxter who is gunning for his third win in three games when Bafana face the Super Eagles expects the three-time African champions to have vengeance on their mind ahead of the clash
The British gaffer led South Africa to a 2-1 win over Nigeria in 2004 in a Mandela Challenge before defeating the Super Eagles 2-0 in a 2019 AFCON qualifier in Uyo in June 2017 – his first match in his second stint at the helms
"We do have Nigeria first‚ in the small matter of an African Nations Cup qualifier‚” Baxter told the Sowetan, A South African online newspaper.
“Everybody knows the list of injuries that we have had.
“Everybody knows what I said in the first press conference (a week ago) that despite that (the injuries) I want to speak about the players that we do have because even though we respect Nigeria, we do not fear them.
“I think we have still enough talent‚ enough desire and if we can structure a game plan in the next three or four days‚ I think by the time we run out onto the FNB Stadium, we would be confident‚ we would not be complacent‚ because Nigeria have just come from a (2018) World Cup (in Russia).
“They are undefeated since we beat them the last time (in the first qualifier in June last year) and they will certainly want to wreak their revenge.
“So‚ we will be ready and I still believe that we have a very good chance of getting the result that we need.”
After the matchday-five AFCON qualifier on Saturday in Johannesburg, the Bafana Bafana will travel to Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium to welcome Paraguay in the Nelson Mandela Challenge next Tuesday.