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Bafana hungry for win - Khune

Rustenburg - Bafana Bafana goalkeeper Itumeleng Khune said his team will use their hunger to overcome Sierra Leone in their final 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Nelspruit on Saturday.

"I can compare this week and our preparations to the one we had ahead of our first meeting with Egypt," said Khune.

"A lot of people didn't believe that we had it in us to beat the Pharaohs, but we did it.

"Now we have to do it again this week. We are hungry, and most importantly, we are at home and have the support of the nation."

Bafana beat Egypt, the current African champions, 1-0 at Ellis Park in March courtesy of a late Katlego Mphela strike.

An injury-depleted Bafana went on to garner a credible 0-0 draw in Cairo in June to end any chances of Egypt qualifying.

This brought down the curtain on a dominant era for the Pharaohs who had made wholesale coaching and playing changes since.

As a senior player, Khune has the duty of marshalling the team's defence against the Leone Stars in ensuring that they don't concede in their pursuit of the three points.

Their fate, however, will be determined in Cairo when a new-look Egypt, with new American coach Bob Bradley at the helm for the first time, take on log-leading Niger.

The Kaizer Chiefs shot stopper has also come under the spotlight in recent times with below par displays and uncharacteristic errors between the sticks at club level.

This has forced the 23-year-old to shut down his social network accounts to allow him to concentrate on regaining his optimum performance.

"Being a keeper, your performance is mostly judged on not conceding," Khune said.

"But I'm here to help Bafana and ensure that we come out victorious and strongly believe that we can do it."

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