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Congo won't be easy - Meyiwa

Cape Town - Senzo Meyiwa says Bafana Bafana won’t leave anything for chance when they face Congo in their 2015 AFCON qualifier over the weekend.

Read: VV praises Khoza influence

Meyiwa stated that the team is fully focused on maintaining their good start to the campaign.

“We have a big challenge ahead of us but we are focused on the task at hand,” said Meyiwa to Orlando Pirates website.

“It won’t be a walk in the park though because Congo are a very strong side, especially at home.”

Meyiwa who was between the sticks for Pirates’ in their African Champions League expedition last year, says the experience he has gained from playing in the African showpiece – in countries like the DRC, Egypt and Congo - will put him in good stead.

“I am fortunate enough to have been played in the African Champions League last year. Our trips to the DRC (to face TP Mazembe) as well as Congo where we played AC Leopards, was a real eye opener,” added the Bafana Bafana captain.

“I will draw inspiration from this exposure and try to share my experience with my Bafana Bafana teammates.

“I have already told some of the guys that it will not be easy. They must be prepared to have their mental toughness tested but I keep on reminding them that we are going to war for our country and that’s all they need to remember when we go to Congo.”

“The environment will be hostile, there will be a lot of mind games but we just have to be mentally strong and focus on our game and doing well for the country.”

The 27-year-old recall the match against TP Mazembe in DRC where he thinks Pirates’ mentality changed for the better after that encounter and he feels Bafana can do the same.

“We can achieve anything we set our minds to and I think that is why we (Pirates) won over the respect of the TP Mazembe fans that day. We can do the same with Bafana Bafana this weekend, we can overcome our challenge against Congo, I truly believe it,” he stressed.

Bafana Bafana will leave for the Republic of Congo on Thursday, October 9 on a chartered flight headed direct for Pointe-Noire for their game on Saturday, October 11.

The match will be played on an artificial surface at the Stade Municipal in Pointe-Noire.

Kick of is scheduled for 16:30 (SA time).

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