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Johannesburg - Bafana Bafana head coach Pitso Mosimane says his team deserves respect from hosts Egypt ahead of Sunday's clash.
Mosimane and his boys are in Cairo for the 2012 African Cup of Nations qualifier at the Cairo Military Academy Stadium and Mosimane has outlined his reasons for believing the Pharaohs must not undermine South Africa.
"Egypt must respect us, because the score in South Africa (Bafana won 1-0 on March 26) tells us we deserve respect from Egypt," Mosimane said in Cairo on Saturday.
"The numbers also don't lie that we are top of the group and we deserve respect. Egypt are a good team, but we are ready for them.
"We will be playing a team that has won the AFCON seven times and three times in a row, but football is not just about statistics.
"It is about what happens in the field. We will absorb the stress and the pressure. In case we are undermined and underrated, we can cause a surprise."
Mosimane added: "At this point we don't have to be worried about anything else. We should be calm a day before the match and relax, but we must not be too ambitious and nervous. We must not be too excited.
"We are soldiers and one thing we can promise South Africans back home is we will exhaust all the energies we have and we will dig into the reserves if there is a need.
"We are strong and we will fight."
Mosimane and his boys are in Cairo for the 2012 African Cup of Nations qualifier at the Cairo Military Academy Stadium and Mosimane has outlined his reasons for believing the Pharaohs must not undermine South Africa.
"Egypt must respect us, because the score in South Africa (Bafana won 1-0 on March 26) tells us we deserve respect from Egypt," Mosimane said in Cairo on Saturday.
"The numbers also don't lie that we are top of the group and we deserve respect. Egypt are a good team, but we are ready for them.
"We will be playing a team that has won the AFCON seven times and three times in a row, but football is not just about statistics.
"It is about what happens in the field. We will absorb the stress and the pressure. In case we are undermined and underrated, we can cause a surprise."
Mosimane added: "At this point we don't have to be worried about anything else. We should be calm a day before the match and relax, but we must not be too ambitious and nervous. We must not be too excited.
"We are soldiers and one thing we can promise South Africans back home is we will exhaust all the energies we have and we will dig into the reserves if there is a need.
"We are strong and we will fight."
